nine o'clock
The time had been as busy as it was happy . In the absence of any good schools in the camp , Howard and the Everett boys studied under the supervision of Mr. Nelson , who gave up his mornings to them ; and Charlie had joined them the week after he reached Blue Creek . Marjorie and Allie , too , went every morning to have a few simple lessons from the widow of one of Mr. Everett 's former clerks , -- a gentle , low-voiced Southern woman who , left alone to make her own way in this new country , was glad to help support herself by taking occasional private pupils . Accordingly , at a little before nine o'clock every morning , the procession of six formed in front of the Everetts and marched down the street for half a mile , where they separated , to go to their different tutors for three or four hours of work . The unvarying program of the morning was followed by a hasty lunch ; and , after that , there were few afternoons when the children did not meet . There were rare hours on the ice , when the skating was good ; there was coasting such as Charlie had never dreamed of before , for in a country where all the land stood up on edge , as Grant expressed it , and where fences were unknown , it was easy to find the long , smooth slopes which are the delight of every owner of a good sled . Best of all , to Charlie 's mind , were the long afternoons of running on snow-shoes , when they explored the cañon far to the north and south , or penetrated the deep , narrow gulch at the west of the camp .