eight o'clock
This proposal was deemed so excellent that they all dined in vastly better spirits than any of them anticipated . Christobal , puzzled out of his scientific senses by Elsie 's change of manner , kept a close eye on her . He was amazed to see her eat a better meal than she had eaten for days , and she was normally a quite healthy young person , with a reasonably good appetite . Boyle and Gray took the first watch , from eight o'clock to midnight . Christobal and Walker shared the next one ; by four o'clock it would be daylight , so the doctor was retiring early to his cabin when he met Elsie , by chance as it seemed . She was self-possessed , even smiling , with a certain dour serenity . `` The day 's doings have tired me , '' she said .