eight o'clock
The next morning , at half-past five , the prison bell rang for the officers to rise , and at six a turnkey unlocked Robinson 's door , and delivered the following in an imperious key , all in one note and without any rests : `` Prisoner to open and shake bedding , wash face , hands and neck on pain of punishment , and roll up hammocks and clean cells and be ready to clean corridors if required . '' So chanting -- slammed door -- vanished . Robinson set to work with alacrity upon the little arrangements ; he soon finished them , and then he would not have been sorry to turn out and clean the corridor for a change , but it was not his turn . He sat , dull and lonely , till eight o'clock , when suddenly a key was inserted into a small lock in the center of his door , but outside ; the effect of this was to open a small trap in the door , through this aperture a turnkey shoved in the man 's breakfast without a word , `` like one flinging guts to a bear '' -LRB- Scott -RRB- ; and on the sociable Tom attempting to say a civil word to him , drew the trap sharply back , and hermetically sealed the aperture with a snap . The breakfast was in a round tin , with two compartments ; one pint of gruel and six ounces of bread . These two phases of farina were familiar to Mr. Robinson . He ate the bread and drank the gruel , adding a good deal of salt .