eight o'clock
The neighbors were becoming more than a little interested , and even excited about the matter ; but what was there to be done ? Telegrams had been sent to other points on the coast , and all the fishermen notified . It was really one of those puzzling cases , where even the most neighborly can do no better than `` wait a while . '' Still , there were more than a dozen people , of all sorts , including Bill Lee , lingering around the `` landing '' as late as eight o'clock that evening . Suddenly one of them exclaimed , -- `` There 's a light coming in ! '' Others followed with , -- `` There 's a boat under it ! '' `` Ham 's boat carried a light . ''