four o'clock
The quartette were playing cards as usual , and Fred presently began to feel lonely . After hanging about the hut for a time , he went out to pass the time in cutting wood . It was very cold , but he much preferred the outer air to the smoky atmosphere of the shack , and he soon grew warm in handling the axe . He spent nearly the whole afternoon at this exercise , and it was after four o'clock when he finally reëntered the cabin . He opened the door rather quietly , and was astounded at what he saw . The card game had been abandoned . The shanty was in a state of confusion and disorder .