five o'clock
He then loosened the line that brailed up the sail , got the stone that served as an anchor on board , hauled the sheet aft , and took his place at the tiller . The wind had dropped a good deal with the sun , but there was still sufficient air to send the light craft fast through the water . He steered out for a time , and then , when he thought himself a good mile from the shore , headed east . By the appearance of the water as it glanced past , he thought that he must be making from five to six miles an hour , and when the sun rose at five o'clock , believed that he was nearly forty miles on his way . He now fastened the tiller with a rope and proceeded to overhaul the craft . It was decked over forward only , and he crept into the cabin , which was little more than three feet high . The first thing his eye lit on was a bulky object hanging against the side , and covered with a thick black blanket of Arab manufacture .