two o'clock
Sitting thus , I gradually fell into a somewhat sombre reverie , in the course of which I reviewed the events that had befallen me during the short period that had elapsed since the _ Dolphin _ and the _ Eros _ had parted company . I went over again , in memory , all the circumstances connected with the loss of the brigantine , the hours I had spent alone in the longboat , her destruction and my somewhat dramatic appearance among the crew of _ La Mouette _ , my reception by her mad captain , and then fell to conjecturing what the future might have in store for me , when I was suddenly aroused to a consciousness of my immediate surroundings by a sort of impression it was no more than that -- that I had heard the sound of a ship 's bell struck four times -- _ ting-ting _ , _ ting-ting _ -- far away yonder in the heart of the thick darkness . So faint , such a mere ghost of a sound , did it seem to be that I felt almost convinced it was purely imaginary , an effect resulting from the train of thought in which I had been indulging ; yet I rose to my feet and , walking over to the skylight , peered through it at the cabin clock to ascertain what the time might actually be . _ It was on the stroke of two o'clock _ ! Therefore if , as I had assured myself , the sounds were imaginary , it was at least a singular coincidence that they should have reached me just at that precise moment . I walked to the fore end of the poop , upon the rail guarding which the ship 's bell was mounted , and sharply struck four bells , after which I again called to the crew forward to maintain a sharp look-out . `` Now , '' thought I , `` if those sounds originated outside my own imagination some of those fellows for ` ard will certainly have heard them , and will mention it . ''