two o'clock
The children were soon brought up to the O'Hallorans ' and then , for a time , there was nothing to do but to listen to the roar of artillery . The officers and Bob ascended the Rock , to a point near one of the batteries , whence they could command a view of the Spanish lines . The flashes of smoke were bursting forth almost incessantly ; but were answered shot for shot from the English batteries , which had already almost silenced the San Carlos Battery , which mounted a large number of mortars , and against which the fire of the English guns was concentrated . Between one and two o'clock the Spanish fire abated , and soon ceased altogether . The inhabitants took advantage of the lull to hurry back to their houses , whence they removed the lighter and more portable articles ; but the heavy stores -- of which it now appeared many of them had large quantities concealed -- they were , of course , unable to take away . The discovery of these stores excited much indignation among the troops . The inhabitants had been constantly representing themselves as reduced to the last point of hunger , and had frequently received provisions from the scanty supplies of the garrison ; and the soldiers were exasperated on finding that , all this time , they possessed great stores of wine , flour , and other articles ; which they were hoarding to produce , and sell , when prices should rise to even more exorbitant heights than they had already reached .