eight o'clock
As soon as this horrible intelligence was communicated , the stranger betook himself to his journey again , with more speed than ever , not even turning his head when Dominicus invited him to smoke a Spanish cigar and relate all the particulars . The pedlar whistled to his mare and went up the hill , pondering on the doleful fate of Mr. Higginbotham whom he had known in the way of trade , having sold him many a bunch of long nines , and a great deal of pigtail , lady 's twist , and fig tobacco . He was rather astonished at the rapidity with which the news had spread . Kimballton was nearly sixty miles distant in a straight line ; the murder had been perpetrated only at eight o'clock the preceding night ; yet Dominicus had heard of it at seven in the morning , when , in all probability , poor Mr. Higginbotham 's own family had but just discovered his corpse , hanging on the St. Michael 's pear-tree . The stranger on foot must have worn seven-league boots to travel at such a rate . `` Ill news flies fast , they say , '' thought Dominicus Pike ; `` but this beats railroads . The fellow ought to be hired to go express with the President 's Message . ''