nine o'clock
No one knows how they do it . But I 've hearn tales about how when war times was there , they would frequent have the news of a big fight before the white folks ' papers would . Soldiers has told me that in them there Philippine Islands we conquered from Spain , where they is so much nigger blood mixed up with other kinds in the islanders , this mysterious spreading around of news is jest the same . And jest since nine o'clock the night before , the news had spread fur miles around that Bishop Warren 's Messiah was on his way , and was going fur to turn the bishop white to show his power and grace , and he had with him one he had turned part white , and that was Sam , and one he had turned clear white , and that was me . And they was to be signs and wonders to behold at Big Bethel , with pillars of cloud and sounds of trumpets and fire squirting down from heaven , like it always use to be in them old Bible days , and them there niggers to be led singing and shouting and rejoicing into a land of milk and honey , forevermore , AMEN ! That 's what Sam says they are looking fur , dozens and scores and hundreds of them niggers round about . Sam , he had lived in town five or six years , and he looked down on all these here ignoramus country niggers .