eight o’clock in the evening
`` Tell me at once that I want to assassinate you ? '' `` Well , I am really afraid , '' replied Glenarvan , bursting into an uncontrollable fit of laughter , in which all others joined . Paganel said no more , but went off in front alone , and came back in a few minutes quite himself , as if he had completely forgotten his grievance . At eight o'clock in the evening , Thalcave , who was considerably in advance of the rest , descried in the distance the much-desired lake , and in less than a quarter of an hour they reached its banks ; but a grievous disappointment awaited them -- the lake was dried up . LAKE SALINAS ends the string of lagoons connected with the Sierras Ventana and Guamini . Numerous expeditions were formerly made there from Buenos Ayres , to collect the salt deposited on its banks , as the waters contain great quantities of chloride of sodium . But when Thalcave spoke of the lake as supplying drinkable water he was thinking of the RIOS of fresh water which run into it .