six o'clock
But the particular canoe now in question swept past us without a sound . She was a large , well-shaped craft , propelled by twenty-four paddles , and she dashed ahead of us as if we had been at anchor , her occupants -- and especially four individuals who sat in the stern-sheets , or at all events where the stern-sheets ought to be , and who , from their display of feathers , bead necklaces , and leopard-skin robes , must have been very bigwigs indeed -- looking straight ahead of them and vouchsafing not the faintest indication that they were conscious of our presence . This absurd assumption of dignity greatly tickled us at the moment , we attributing it entirely to the existence in the native mind of a profound conviction of their own immeasurable superiority ; but subsequent events tended to give another and a more sinister aspect to the incident . We pressed diligently on with our work until six o'clock , at which time we found ourselves abreast a small native village . Here Mildmay proposed to effect a landing , both for the purpose of procuring some fruit and also to satisfy his very natural curiosity to see what a native village was like . But on pulling in toward the bank the natives assembled , making such unmistakable warlike demonstrations that we deemed it advisable to abandon our purpose . We could , of course , have easily dispersed the hostile blacks had we been so disposed ; and Saint Croix , who was a particularly high-spirited , fiery-tempered young fellow , strongly advocated our doing so .