nine o'clock
-LSB- Sidenote : WILD PIGEONS -RSB- `` I 'll go , Davy , if I can get off . '' After I had shod the horse , I spoke to Mr. Harrington about it . He said : `` You wo n't need but half a day , Ben . The shooting will be all over by nine o'clock , and you can come back and work in the afternoon . '' In the spring flights of pigeons came north very early . They lived in the woods and swamps , and as soon as it began to be light flew down to the shore . As they came along , we used to toll them down with our decoys .