three o'clock
A curious feature of this luminous haze was that it cast no shadow . It was as light under the trees as away from them , the whole unnatural appearance of things most likely being due to the immense forest fires which were raging in many parts of the country . It was during the summer , I repeat , in which Nick Ribsam reached the age of twelve years , that so many forest fires raged , and it was in the autumn of the same year that he saw the famous dark day , so similar to that of September , 1881 ; in fact , it could not have resembled it more closely , for I may as well state it was that very day to which I refer . `` Nick , '' said his father , on that September morning , addressing his boy in Dutch , `` I promised to pay James Bradley one hundred dollars to-day before three o'clock . '' `` Yes , sir , '' responded the boy , who knew that the debt would be paid on time . `` He was to come here to our house to get it , but he sent me word last night that he would be much obliged if I would send it to him at Martin 's store in Dunbarton , as he is obliged to be there all day . I like to accommodate any one , and I will therefore send you to take it to him . ''