three o'clock
It was a part of the skipper 's plan to replenish his bunkers at Port Said , an operation involving a detention of three hours . We therefore all went ashore , and I posted a letter to my friends , the Gordons , attaching to it a number of stamps of different denominations , for the benefit of Ronald , who was an enthusiastic collector . We then roved about the town , but , finding nothing to interest us , soon returned to the ship , which we found enveloped in a cloud of coal dust which was playing havoc with her fresh white paint , despite the canvas screens spread to protect it . We got under way again shortly after three o'clock that afternoon , two of our passengers -- Russians who looked very much like military men in mufti -- cutting things so fine that they were actually compelled to follow after us in a steam launch ; and when at length they overtook us , scrambled aboard , and went at once to the cabin which they shared , the skipper , with whom Nakamura and I had become very chummy , caught our eyes and signed to us both to come up to his cabin on the bridge , the ship then being in charge of a canal pilot , with Sadakiyo , the chief officer , standing beside him on the navigating bridge . Accordingly , we sauntered up in a nonchalant sort of way , as though intent upon watching the progress of the ship through the canal , for there had been something of furtiveness in the skipper 's action which seemed to hint that he did not wish his sign to be observed by others , which led me at least to imagine that there might be something in the wind . And so , apparently there was , for when we had entered the cabin , the skipper softly closed the door and drew the curtains across the two after ports , as though desirous of concealing the fact of our presence in his cabin . Then , having produced whisky and soda and a box of cigars , he seated himself on the sofa , facing us , and said in English : `` You saw those two Russians come aboard , just now , after nearly losing their passage ? ''