twelve o'clock
The schooner got out her sweeps , and was evidently preparing for their reception . Still the captain appeared unwilling to risk the lives of his men in such a dangerous conflict , and there we all lay alongside , each man sitting in his place with his oar raised on end . Cat 's - paws of wind , as they call them , flew across the water here and there , ruffling its smooth surface , portending that a breeze would soon spring up , and the hopes of this chance rendered the captain undecided . Thus did we remain alongside , for Tom and I were stationed in the first and second cutters until twelve o'clock , when we were ordered out to take a hasty dinner , and the allowance of spirits was served out . At one it was still calm . Had we started when the boats were first hoisted out the affair would have been long before decided . At last , the captain , perceiving that the chance of a breeze was still smaller then than in the forenoon , ordered the boats to shove off .