About
six o’clock in the evening
It was curious to see how this faithful beast accustomed itself to the darkness , and made its other senses , especially that of smell , serve the purpose of eyes as do the blind . By degrees , too , it learned all the details of the operations ; thus , when the cartridge was in place for firing , it would rise and begin to walk out of the tunnel even before the men in charge . One night the tragedy that I feared very nearly happened , and indeed must have happened had it not been for this same hound , Pharaoh . About six o'clock in the evening Oliver came off duty after an eight-hour shift in the tunnel , leaving Higgs in command for a little while until it was time for Quick to take charge . I had been at work outside all day in connection with the new conscript army , a regiment of which was in revolt , because the men , most of whom were what we should call small-holders , declared that they wanted to go home to weed their crops . Indeed , it had proved necessary for the Child of Kings herself to be summoned to plead with them and condemn some of the ringleaders to punishment . When at length this business was over we left together , and the poor lady , exasperated almost to madness , sharply refusing the escort of any of her people , requested me to accompany her to the mine .