four o'clock
He avoided Samuel assiduously , but Samuel was sure that when the day came for the signatures he would appear . It came -- a baking May day , with hot wave rising off the parched land as far as eyes could see , and as Samuel sat stewing in his little improvised office -- a few chairs , a bench , and a wooden table -- he was glad the thing was almost over . He wanted to get back East the worst way , and join his wife and children for a week at the seashore . The meeting was set for four o'clock , and he was rather surprised at three-thirty when the door opened and McIntyre came in . Samuel could not help respecting the man 's attitude , and feeling a bit sorry for him . McIntyre seemed closely related to the prairies , and Samuel had the little flicker of envy that city people feel toward men who live in the open . `` Afternoon , '' said McIntyre , standing in the open doorway , with his feet apart and his hands on his hips .