Twenty minutes to twelve
It was a most embarrassing problem with which he thus suddenly found himself brought face to face ; but with a brave man the question could not long remain an open one ; a few seconds sufficed him to determine on proceeding and taking our chance . The sounds from the shore now rapidly increased in intensity , and by and by we suddenly found that they proceeded from both sides of the boats . Smellie drew out his watch and consulted it by the light of the boat 's binnacle . `` Twenty minutes to twelve ! and we are now entering the creek , '' he whispered to me . The slavers , we knew , were anchored about two miles up the creek , and the conviction suddenly smote me that in another half-hour I should in all probability be engaged in a fierce and deadly struggle . Somehow up to that moment I had only regarded the attack as a remote possibility -- a something which _ might _ but was not very likely to happen .