four o'clock
One of them , three minutes later , however , heard suddenly from across the bridge the sound of a horse breaking into a gallop and presently dying away westwards beyond Perry Lane . Within the castle that evening nothing happened that was of any note to its more careless occupants . All was as usual . The guard at the towers that controlled the drawbridge across the outer moat was changed at four o'clock ; six men came out , under an officer , from the inner court ; the words were exchanged , and the six that went off duty marched into the armoury to lay by their pikes and presently dispersed , four to their rooms in the east side of the quadrangle , two to their quarters in the village . From the kitchen came the clash of dishes . Sir Amyas came out from the direction of the keep , where he had been conferring with Mr. FitzWilliam , the castellan , and passed across to his lodging on the south . A butcher hurried in , under escort of a couple of men from the gate , with a covered basket and disappeared into the kitchen entry .