about four in the afternoon
So I hobbled along painfully , though the desire to throw myself down was becoming imperative . Just ahead was Jim , sturdily holding his own . The others were reduced to a bare half-dozen . It was about four in the afternoon when we reached the creek . Up it our leader plunged , till he came to a place where a rude shaft had been dug . We gathered around him . He was a typical prospector , a child of hope , lean , swarthy , clear-eyed .