ten o'clock
Many more pointers did Darrin pick up from this young officer of long experience in mine-hunting . `` I 'm going farther north , '' said Dave . `` If you run into anything and need help , send up rocket signals and we 'll steam back to you at top speed . '' Before ten o'clock that night Darrin had encountered and spoken with or signalled to the commanders of not less than a dozen mine-sweeping craft . What struck Dave as the most prominent feature of these small , unpretentious craft was the slow , systematic way in which they performed their duty . `` It 's a wonderful work , '' Dave explained to Fernald . `` If it were not for these dingy , stub-nosed little craft , and the fine spirit of their crews , hundreds of steamships would probably be blown up in these waters in a month .