about six o'clock
The Acadians , whether from fear or policy , did as they promised , and kept quiet . They kept by themselves always , and refused to accept the advances of Terry , though they were frequently made . They all appeared listless and dejected , and the smiles , the laughter , and the singing which had characterized their first days on board had all passed away , and given place to low , murmured conversation or silence . At length , one evening at about six o'clock , Zac saw a solitary boat coming from the shore . It was a long way off when he first saw it , and it seemed to be coming towards the schooner . The tide was unfavorable , so that the progress was quite slow ; but its course lay steadily towards him , and Zac , who watched it intently , was turning over in his mind his best plan of action . It did not seem large enough to contain any very formidable force ; but Zac thought best to take every precaution , and so sent all the Acadians below , while Terry and Jericho stood ready for action .