ten o'clock
It was in the dusk of Tuesday evening that Jake Dolan 's dog came into the yard where the captives were , and Jake disowned him , and joined the men who stoned the faithful creature out to the main road . But the prisoners knew that their rescuers would follow the dog , so at supper the three men from the Ridge sat together on a bench at the table while Mrs. Carnine and the girls waited on the men -- after the fashion of country places in those days . Dolan managed to say under his breath to Barclay , `` It 's all right -- but the girls must stay in the house to-night . '' And John knew that if he and Bob escaped with horses before ten o'clock , they could reach the Ridge in time to sign the levy before midnight . Darkness fell at eight , and a screech-owl in the wood complained to the night . Dolan rose and stretched and yawned , and then began to talk of going to bed , and Gabriel Carnine , whose turn it was to sleep because he had been up two nights , shuffled off to the straw-covered stable to lie down with the Texan who was his bunk mate , leaving half a dozen men to guard the prisoners . An hour later the screech-owl in the wood murmured again , this time much closer , and Dolan rose and took off his hat and threw it in the straw beside him .