ten
o'clock
He was so absorbed in his delight , that he heard , as one who hears not , a wagon go rattling along the road , and the shouting , whistling and singing of boys . It was past noon before he recalled the object with which he had left home that morning . He sat upon the very pinnacle of achievement -- that is to say , he sat upon the very highest point in the orchard , his head up , his spirits up , with such a decidedly upward tendency that it was hard for him to make up his mind to descend to the plane of common life . However , he thought it must be something past ten o'clock , so he slipped himself off his pinnacle , or was in the act of doing so , when he missed his hold and went off with a sudden jerk . Something scraped the whole length of his back , and seemed to hold him in a relentless grip . It was the stump of a small branch , which had caught him by the bottom of his loose jacket , and slipped up under it quicker than a wink , as Benny slid down . It was one of those things of which we say , `` You could n't do it again to save your life . ''