four o'clock
And it was a world which he liked little enough . The cook , rattling his pots and pans and stove-lids , woke him long before it was four o'clock . One by one the men tumbled out , dressed swiftly , washed and combed their hair at the low bench by the door , and then sat about smoking or wandered away to the stable to attend to their horses . At four o'clock the table was set , coffee and biscuits and steaks sending out their odors to float together upon the morning air . Conniston got up with the others and washed at the common basin , contenting himself with running his fingers through his hair rather than to use the one broken-toothed comb . One or two of the boys said a short `` Mornin ' '' to him , but the most of them seemed to see him no more than they had when he had entered the bunk-house last evening . Lonesome Pete nodded to him and , when they all sat down , indicated a chair at his side for him to sit in .