ten o'clock
`` Eleven it is , '' said the boatswain , briskly , `` and , between pals -- here 's arf a dollar to go on with . '' He patted him on the shoulder again , and with a caution to keep out of sight as much as possible till night walked slowly home . His step was light , but he carried a face in which care and exultation were strangely mingled . By ten o'clock that night care was in the ascendant , and by eleven , when he discerned the red glow of Mr. Travers 's pipe set as a beacon against a dark background of hedge , the boatswain was ready to curse his inventive powers . Mr. Travers greeted him cheerily and , honestly attributing the fact to good food and a couple of pints of beer he had had since the boatswain left him , said that he was ready for anything . Mr. Benn grunted and led the way in silence . There was no moon , but the night was clear , and Mr. Travers , after one or two light-hearted attempts at conversation , abandoned the effort and fell to whistling softly instead .