Wow! for text you are asking about. It can help people who are trying to answer your question.) https://books.google.com/books?id=hYmIAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA194&lpg=PA194&dq=Penny+asked,+%22When+did+it+happen?%22&source=bl&ots=vUpjc1-eLp&sig=4DECr4lBfZ8hYPpWAyXiegTstIc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Y5jxVNfPBc_coATn3oCYBw&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Penny%20asked%2C%20%22When%20did%20it%20happen%3F%22&f=false The English used in the dialogues is difficult to understand because (1) it's a rural dialect instead of standard English and (2) even the dialect itself is largely archaic. That is, even people in rural America don't speak that way any more. So I compliment you if you are able to struggle through this book and understand the archaic rural English dialect at all. That said, Penny is asking when the boy died and the answer is that he died at dawn. The boy had been laying and suffering (punishing) for a day or two and seemed to be healing but died at dawn.