one in the morning
In the jungle I crept forward , stopping with a beating heart whenever I heard , as I often did , the crash of breaking branches as some wild beast went past . Now and then great shadows loomed up for an instant and were gone -- great , silent shadows which seemed to prowl upon padded feet . How often I stopped with the intention of returning , and yet every time my pride conquered my fear , and sent me on again until my object should be attained . At last -LRB- my watch showed that it was one in the morning -RRB- I saw the gleam of water amid the openings of the jungle , and ten minutes later I was among the reeds upon the borders of the central lake . I was exceedingly dry , so I lay down and took a long draught of its waters , which were fresh and cold . There was a broad pathway with many tracks upon it at the spot which I had found , so that it was clearly one of the drinking-places of the animals . Close to the water 's edge there was a huge isolated block of lava .