about noon
As we pulled across her stern a slim dart of fire shot out viciously at us , and suddenly she went down , head first , in a great hiss of steam . The unconsumed stern was the last to sink ; but the paint had gone , had cracked , had peeled off , and there were no letters , there was no word , no stubborn device that was like her soul , to flash at the rising sun her creed and her name . `` We made our way north . A breeze sprang up , and about noon all the boats came together for the last time . I had no mast or sail in mine , but I made a mast out of a spare oar and hoisted a boat-awning for a sail , with a boat-hook for a yard . She was certainly over-masted , but I had the satisfaction of knowing that with the wind aft I could beat the other two . I had to wait for them .