about half past seven
Two or three attended to the work of removing one of the searchlights from `` Old Nanc '' and putting it into place on top of the moth catcher , while the rest of the boys strung a temporary line of wire from the headquarters ' switchboard to a point about two hundred yards up the road . They intended to conduct the test there and throw the searchlight into the trees on Chipman Hill across the valley . It was dinner time when the wires were in place and the scouts , after a last look about , all went home to get something to eat and to wait the coming of darkness . They began to return to headquarters about half past seven . Bruce , Nipper Knapp , and Ray Martin were the first to arrive and , to their surprise , they found at least two dozen people waiting outside of headquarters . `` Well , what does this meant '' inquired Bruce of Nipper . `` Well , I guess they read Rogan 's story in the Journal .