about six o'clock
There was no packing to do , except the tying up of the food in the roughly-made bags they had prepared , and the rolling up of the professor 's drawings -- for they had increased in number , the brigand chief having , half-contemptuously , given up the paper that had been packed upon the baggage-horses . Mr Preston was for making this into a square parcel , but Yussuf suggested the rolling up with waste paper at the bottom , and did this so tightly that the professor 's treasure , when bound with twine , assumed the form of a stout staff -- `` ready , '' Mr Burne said with a chuckle , `` for outward application to the head as well as inward . '' All through the rest of that day the motions of the people were watched with the greatest of anxiety , and a dozen times over the appearance of one of the brigands was enough to suggest that suspicion had been aroused , and that they were to be more closely watched . But the night came at last -- a dark still night without a breath of air ; and as , about six o'clock as near as they could guess , everything seemed quiet , Yussuf went out and returned directly to say that there were no guards placed , and that under these circumstances it would be better to go at once . No one was likely to come again , so they might as well save a few hours and get a longer start . This premature announcement startled Mrs Chumley , so that she turned faint with excitement , and unfortunately the only thing they could offer her as a restorative was some grape treacle . This stuff Chumley insisted upon her taking , and the annoyance roused her into making an effort , and she rose to her feet .