twenty minutes to four
Kirkwood 's clothing , now rough-dried and warped wretchedly out of shape , had been thrown carelessly on a transom near the door . He got up , collected them , and returning to his berth , dressed at leisure , thinking heavily , disgruntled -- in a humor as evil as the after-taste of bad brandy in his mouth . When dressed he went out into the cabin , closing the door upon his berth , and for lack of anything better to do , seated himself on the thwartships transom , against the forward bulkhead , behind the table . Above his head a chronometer ticked steadily and loudly , and , being consulted , told him that the time of day was twenty minutes to four ; which meant that he had slept away some eighteen or twenty hours . That was a solid spell of a rest , when he came to think of it , even allowing that he had been unusually and pardonably fatigued when conducted to his berth . He felt stronger now , and bright enough -- and enormously hungry into the bargain . Abstractedly , heedless of the fact that his tobacco would be water-soaked and ruined , he fumbled in his pockets for pipe and pouch , thinking to soothe the pangs of hunger against breakfast-time ; which was probably two hours and a quarter ahead .