nine o'clock
The first thing she saw was the body of her master , in his shirt , upon the stairs . She had then called up the only other human being who slept on the premises , a shepherd , who had lived for thirty years with Trumbull . This man had thrown open the house , and had gone for assistance , and had found the body of the dead dog in the yard . Before nine o'clock the facts , as they have been told , were known everywhere , and the Squire was down on the spot . The man , -- or , as it was presumed , men , -- had entered by the unaccustomed front door , which was so contrived as to afford the easiest possible mode of getting into the house ; whereas , the back door , which was used by everybody , had been bolted and barred with all care . The men must probably have entered by the churchyard and the back gate of the farmyard , as that had been found to be unlatched , whereas the gate leading out on to the road had been found closed . The farmer himself had always been very careful to close both these gates when he let out Bone 'm before going to bed .