six o'clock
The Scoodlers led the captives away and shut them up in one of the houses , leaving only a single Scoodler to keep guard . The place was a sort of store-house ; containing bags of potatoes and baskets of carrots , onions and turnips . `` These , '' said their guard , pointing to the vegetables , `` we use to flavor our soups with . '' The prisoners were rather disheartened by this time , for they saw no way to escape and did not know how soon it would be six o'clock and time for the meatchopper to begin work . But the shaggy man was brave and did not intend to submit to such a horrid fate without a struggle . `` I 'm going to fight for our lives , '' he whispered to the children , `` for if I fail we will be no worse off than before , and to sit here quietly until we are made into soup would be foolish and cowardly . '' The Scoodler on guard stood near the doorway , turning first his white side toward them and then his black side , as if he wanted to show to all of his greedy four eyes the sight of so many fat prisoners .