five minutes past twelve
We had done so long ago , and did it again and again , and thanked Him , not only for ourselves , but for the brave old `` Dreadnought '' too , so true to her name and the work she had done that night . Before we went to bed Jack said , `` Same to you , Tom . '' I knew what he meant . I had wished him a `` Merry Christmas '' at five minutes past twelve that morning , and this was his answer six hours after . What a lot may happen in six hours ! We know that it always is , or should be , embarrassing to a hero to recite the history of his own exploits . So if this simple narrative strikes the reader as defective , he must excuse it for that reason .