four
o'clock
Wing knew something about everything . He was an expert veterinarian , something of a doctor , knew more of mineralogy than all the officers put together , and could speak Spanish better than any man in the regiment . When it became necessary to have a signal-station at the peak and it was found that no one knew anything about the business , Wing got one of the old red manuals , studied the system , and inside of a week was signalling with the expert sent down from San Francisco . The interior of the ranch was still a smouldering furnace as four o'clock drew nigh . Woods , weak and exhausted , had fallen into an uneasy sleep . The trooper detailed to watch over old Plummer and Feeny and bathe their faces with cool water was nodding over his charge . Here and there under the shed on the north side which the flames had not reached the men were dozing , or in low , awe-stricken tones , talking of the tragic events of the night .