half past twelve
So that accounts for the good shoes all worn out . Smart boy , hey ? So you see that 's the way I bridged that trail , though I could n't be sure I was right , I have to admit that . Anyway I went across the street and I saw by the clock in the bank that it was half past twelve . I knew I could n't go much farther because I wanted to get back to the house-boat by one . I started down Barrel Alley , watching the mud along the edge of the sidewalk , so I could tell if the fellow left the sidewalk to go into one of the houses . Barrel Alley is a blind alley-that means it has an end to it and you ca n't go any further .