nearly nine o'clock
Hinpoha held her little bug light down while the Captain searched for the trouble in the launch engine and he was not long in discovering that it was nothing serious . A few pokes in her vitals and the launch began chugging again . The whole family was lined up on the beach awaiting their arrival and they were welcomed back as though they had been gone a year . It was nearly nine o'clock . They had been out on the lake more than four hours . `` Stop hugging Hinpoha , Gladys , '' bade her mother , `` and let her eat something . Those blessed children must be nearly starved . ''