one o'clock
Then he took his hat and went out of the front door to go up town , and Pony screamed out , `` Well , I 'll run off ; that 's what I 'll do ! '' His father did not take any notice of him , and his mother only said , `` Pony , Pony ! '' while his sisters all stood round frightened at the way Pony howled and thrashed the lounge with his legs . But before one o'clock Pony washed his face and brushed his hair , and took his books and started for school . His mother tried to kiss him , but he pushed her off , for it seemed to him that she might have made his father let him stay out of school , if she had tried , and he was not going to have any of her pretending . He made his face very cold and hard as he marched out of the house , for he never meant to come back to that house any more . He meant to go to school that afternoon , but as soon as school was out he was going to run off .