nine o'clock
Tony had left for his father 's camp and George Tolford had gone with him . `` I would give considerable to know what Chester and the Japs , as they are called , quarreled about to-night , '' he said , but of course the boys could give him no information on the subject . As a matter of fact , Ned thought he knew , but the thing was so incomprehensible to him that he doubted , for a time , his own reasoning . It was now nine o'clock , and it seemed to him that the time for action had come . Whether he was right in his deductions or not , he could not afford to ignore the plans he had made for the night . He did not like the idea of accepting responsibility for the important move he was determined to make , but Lieutenant Gordon was not to be found , and there was nothing for him to do but to go ahead . `` Now , boys , '' he said to his chums , `` we are going into a game to-night that may lead to bloodshed .