eleven o'clock
Returning to the guard-room , he breathed a silent prayer for his friend 's safety , and then fortified his inner man with the fare provided . Conversation accompanied the impromptu supper , and the subsequent cigar or pipe , at first led by the divines , but afterwards taken clean out of their mouths by the Captain and the veteran , who furnished exciting accounts of their experience in critical situations . The Squire had gone out for the second time to inspect the sentries . It was eleven o'clock . Coristine , who was first visited , reported a sound of voices at the back of the house , and Toner confirmed the report . The commander-in-chief hastened to the gate leading into the hill meadow , and perceived a figure struggling in the strong grasp of Sylvanus . The sentinel 's left arm was round the prisoner , and the gun was in his right hand .