twelve o'clock
`` An ugly shore , sir , '' he said , pleased at my compliment . `` A very ugly shore . It would be a bad night which found a ship in these parts and no better light than the fool 's beacon we saw yesterday . '' `` As true as the parson 's word , '' said I , `` but , ugly or beautiful , I 'll be up on those heights before twelve o'clock if I have to swim ashore . And speaking of that , '' said I , `` there are men up yonder , or I 'm a Dutchman ! '' Well , he clapped his glass to his eye and searched the green grass land as I had done ; but the light was overstrong and the cliff quickly shut the view from us , so that we found ourselves presently in the loom of vast black rocks , with the tide running like a whirlpool , and a great sword-fish reef a mile from the shore , perhaps , to catch any fool that did n't want sea room . I took the tiller myself from this point , and standing well out I brought the launch round gingerly enough , but the water was deep and good once we were on the lee side ; and no sooner did we head north again than I espied the cove and knew where Ruth Bellenden had gone ashore .