How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
"The doctor says 'e'd been dead hours. 'E saw 'im i' th' lamp-cabin." (2.63)
It's entirely possible that the clock references have been there not only to mark how long the family has been waiting, but also how long Walter's had been trapped. From what the men from the mine say, it seems that the incident that killed Walter must have occurred right around the time the story opened.