one
o'clock in the afternoon
So Fred Ripley was now a junior , in good standing as far as scholarship and school record went . So far , during this new year , Ripley had managed to smother his hatred for Dick & Co. , especially for Dick himself . Lessons and recitations on this early December morning went off as usual . In time the hands of the clock moved around to one o'clock in the afternoon , at which time the High School closed for the day . The partners of Dick & Co. went down the steps of the building and all soon found their way through the surging crowds of escaped students . This sextette turned down one of the streets and trudged along together . At first several of the other High School boys walked along near them .