midday
Mr. Pike had the watch , and with sure , age-lagging step he paced the deck . The man is a marvel -- sixty-nine years old , a life of hardship , and as sturdy as a lion . Yet of the past night alone his hours had been : four to six in the afternoon on deck ; eight to twelve on deck ; and four to eight in the morning on deck . In a few minutes he would be relieved , but at midday he would again be on deck . I leaned on the poop-rail and stared for ` ard along the dreary waste of deck . Every port and scupper was working to ease the weight of North Atlantic that perpetually fell on board . Between the rush of the cascades , streaks of rust showed everywhere .