About five in the afternoon
The cat had disappeared , and all traces of the night 's visitation had been removed . * * * * * Several hours before , Lem Crabbe and Lon Cronk had slunk into Tarrytown . The snow still fell heavily when they made their preparations to enter the home of Horace Shellington . About five in the afternoon they had worked their way against this sharp north wind to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and had entered it . Until night should fall and sleep overtake the city , they planned to remain there quietly . Not far from the fence they took up their station in an unused toolhouse , smoking the next hours away in silence . When ten o'clock neared , Lem stole out ; but he came back almost immediately , cursing the wild night in superstitious fear .