noon
The martens , ermines , polar hares , musk-rats , and beavers literally swarmed upon the site of the former factory . The wolves alone were unrepresented , and had probably all been swallowed up with the rest of the island . The bear no longer wandered from Cape Bathurst , and the furred animals seemed quite unconscious of its presence ; nor did the colonists notice it much , absorbed as they were in the contemplation of the approaching doom , which had broken down all the ordinary distinctions of race . A little before noon a sudden hope -- too soon to end in disappointment -- revived the drooping spirits of the colonists . Sabine , who had been standing for some time on the highest part of the islet looking at the sea , suddenly cried -- `` A boat ! a boat ! '' It was as if an electric shock had suddenly ran through the group , for all started up and rushed towards the hunter .