About ten o'clock
`` The village is in sight ! '' he announced , whereat there was a cheer , the owl commenced to struggle afresh , and Step Hen had his hands full trying to quiet his feathered prisoner . With their goal now close at hand the boys were able to step out at a more lively pace , even Bumpus showing surprising gains . About ten o'clock they arrived at the settlement where they had seen some sort of dock , at which a couple of ore barges of the whaleback type were being loaded . Already the eager eyes of the boys had discovered a boat that answered the description of the one they expected to find awaiting them . Making straight for the place they found that they had guessed rightly . That good sized powerboat was the Chippeway Belle , the vessel which was to be their home for the next two weeks or more , as they pleased .