ten o'clock
This last was given from behind his hand after he had glanced around the room and found that Archie was absent . At eight o'clock , when Parks and Archie left the Station to begin their patrol , Parks was obliged to hold on to the rail of the porch to steady himself , and Archie , being less sure of his feet , was blown against the water-barrel before he could get his legs well under him . At the edge of the surf the two separated for their four hours ' patrol , Archie breasting the gale on his way north , and Parks hurrying on , helped by the wind , to the south . At ten o'clock Parks returned . He had made his first round , and had exchanged his brass check with the patrol at the next station . As he mounted the sand-dune he quickened his steps , hurried to the Station , opened the sitting-room door , found it empty , the men being in bed upstairs awaiting their turns , and then strode on to the captain 's room , his sou ` wester and tarpaulin drenched with spray and sand , his hip-boots leaving watery tracks along the clean floor . `` Wreck ashore at No. 14 , sir ! ''