quarter past ten
What did it all amount to ? He opened his eyes and came back to the little boat , rocking gently on the undulating swells ; to the lonely glory of the peaceful ocean , arched by the starry sky . A light breeze was beginning to blow from the southwest , dispersing the thin silver mist that overhung the water . Percy glanced at his watch ; it was quarter past ten , almost time for the ebb to cease and the flood to begin . Should he keep on or go back ? He must decide quickly . Already his arms were tired , and he was more than two miles north of the island .