eight o'clock
Courtenay pointed to a pin-mark in the sheet . `` We were there at six o'clock , '' he said , and his voice was so steady that he seemed now to be free from the least touch of anxiety . `` The course was South-40-East , and , against this wind and sea , together with a strong current to the nor ` east , we would make eight knots under easy steam . Therefore , by eight o'clock , when the furnaces blew out , we were here . '' He jabbed in a pin a little further down the chart . Mr. Boyle , whose peculiar gifts in the way of speech were accurately described by Dr. Christobal , grunted agreement . `` Huh , '' he said .