nearly
three o'clock
His heart sank within him as he realised his position , and found that there was only one door , upon which he raised his hand ready to return into the great kitchen ; but a low creaking noise , suggestive of some one treading on a board , arrested him , and he stood there listening . After a few minutes he grew more confident , and opening the door slightly he once more gazed upon the Rembrandtish scene , all light and shadow , with the men stretched about asleep , and two more seated upon a bench busily trickling spirit from the little keg into a small horn , from which they drank in turn with a sigh of satisfaction . The others slept on , one now and then making an uneasy movement ; but it was evident that there were to be no more partners in the coming drinking bout , and Hilary began to calculate how long it would be before they would have drunk enough to make them sleepy and ready to join their companions upon the floor . He had no means of judging , but he concluded that it must now be nearly three o'clock , and in an hour 's time it would be getting light . And yet , near as he was to safety , it seemed that he was to be disappointed , and to wait there till somebody or other came to the place and gave the alarm . By keeping the door just ajar he was able to watch the two men ; but a couple of hours had passed before he saw them stretch themselves upon the floor , after carefully hiding away the little keg , and at last Hilary felt that he might venture to cross the great kitchen again and endeavour to find another outlet . The day had broken some time before , and the cold grey light that shone in through the iron grating showed him that he was correct in his surmises , and that the place had been a dairy ; but the window was too strong for him to break through , and there was nothing for it but to cross the party of sleeping men .