about two o'clock
With that measure of oats held within smelling distance of his nose he kept plodding steadily along , and mile after mile was placed in their rear . Once they halted , and watered old Dominick at a wayside spring , besides letting him have a delightful five-minute communion with the oat crop . Then the forward movement was begun , again , and the boy who held the measure of oats continued to dance just ahead of the deluded Dominick . It was about two o'clock on that Saturday afternoon when a great commotion broke out in the outskirts of Riverport . Boys and girls flocked to the spot , and loud cheers rent the air . Indeed , plenty of people actually made sure that the circus must have arrived ahead of time , and as this was an event in which every citizen was supposed to be interested , since he would be compelled to take his youngsters to the show , plenty of men were in the throng that gathered . Dogs barked , chickens set up a cackling and crowing , and there was a perfect Bedlam of sounds along the main street .