three o'clock
They were quite willing that a boat should be dispatched to search for the longboat and her crew if the matter could be arranged , but they very strongly protested against the idea that I and all my nine fighting men should leave the ship , which , they pointed out , would be at the mercy of the mutineers if we were to miss them and if they were to get back before us ; or , possibly , which would be still worse , open to an attack from hundreds of savages should the natives by any chance have discovered us and observed our helpless predicament . I was pointing out to them that this stand which they were taking rendered the idea of a search impossible , since I considered it neither wise nor prudent to dispatch a weak search party , and that I could not dream of ordering any of my own men away upon such an expedition in the command of anyone but myself , when I heard a call on deck , and the next moment Simpson presented himself at the entrance of the saloon to say that the longboat was in sight , pulling hard for the ship , but that , so far as could be made out , there were only five men in her ! Whereupon , with one accord we all dashed out on deck and made the best of our way to the topgallant-forecastle , which afforded a good view of the approaching boat . It was now a few minutes past three o'clock , ship 's time . Arrived on the forecastle , I snatched the telescope from the hands of the look-out as he flourished the instrument toward the boat , with the remark : `` There she comes , sir , and the buckos in her seem to be in a tearin ' hurry , too . See how they 're makin ' the spray fly and the oars buckle ! They 're workin ' harder just now than they 've done for many a long day , I 'll warrant . ''