nine o'clock
They are fiddling while England falls ! '' Mr. Shutliffe , of Stiffkey , had led his cow in from the marsh , and was about to close the cow-barn door , when three soldiers appeared suddenly around the wall of the village church . They ran directly toward him . It was nine o'clock , but the twilight still held . The uniforms the men wore were unfamiliar , but in his day Mr. Shutliffe had seen many uniforms , and to him all uniforms looked alike . The tallest soldier snapped at Mr. Shutliffe fiercely in a strange tongue . `` Du bist gefangen ! ''