ten o'clock
There had , however , been great difficulty with the cows who were to represent General Putnam 's oxen , for the horses ' harness did not fit them very well , and they objected to dragging the plough as well-regulated oxen should have done ; so at the last moment it was decided to give up the idea of a moving scene , and simply attempt a tableau ; General Putnam at his plough in the field , reading the Declaration of Independence . A sheet could be held up until the cows were in position , then it was to be dropped and the tableau revealed to the audience . `` The effect would be grand , '' Tom said . At ten o'clock the actors were all in the vegetable garden , and the audience under cover of straw hats and parasols were slowly assembling on the benches above . The cannon was loaded at the top of an earthwork commanding the asparagus-bed , torpedo ammunition was stored in a box half way down the hill , and fire-crackers were everywhere , provided by the combatants who had clubbed their spending-money for the purpose . A hole had been made in the roof of the underground shanty through which Putnam was to be let down by a rope , and Turk , as the wolf , had been imprisoned there since early morning , with Grip to keep him company . At last all was ready , and the orchestra opened the entertainment with `` Hail Columbia '' on the violin , by Tom , accompanied by the jews-harp , tambourine and triangle , and a flute which could only play two notes , but made up in power what it lacked in variety .