eleven o'clock
He was thirsty , and drank a little from his canteen . `` I ai n't got any too much water , '' he murmured , shaking the canteen . `` I got to get out of this place in a hurry , sure . '' By eleven o'clock the heat had increased to such an extent that McTeague could feel the burning of the ground come pringling and stinging through the soles of his boots . Every step he took threw up clouds of impalpable alkali dust , salty and choking , so that he strangled and coughed and sneezed with it . `` LORD ! what a country ! ''