seven o’clock
And , after all , our anxiety , though no doubt natural , was , strictly speaking , illogical , seeing that we never know what is going to happen to us the next minute , even when we sit in a well-drained house with two policemen patrolling under the window -- nor how long we have to live . It is all arranged for us , my sons , so what is the use of bothering ? It was nearly midday when we made our dive into darkness , and we had set our watch -LRB- Good and Umslopogaas -RRB- at two , having agreed that it should be of a duration of five hours . At seven o'clock , accordingly , Sir Henry and I went on , Sir Henry at the bow and I at the stern , and the other two lay down and went to sleep . For three hours all went well , Sir Henry only finding it necessary once to push us off from the side ; and I that but little steering was required to keep us straight , as the violent current did all that was needed , though occasionally the canoe showed a tendency which had to be guarded against to veer and travel broadside on . What struck me as the most curious thing about this wonderful river was : how did the air keep fresh ? It was muggy and thick , no doubt , but still not sufficiently so to render it bad or even remarkably unpleasant .