ten o'clock
The skipper had argued so warmly that he almost fancied he must have inherited the tenets of the Seventh-day Baptists from his mother while the mate had surprised himself by the warmth of his advocacy of a form of Wesleyanism which would have made the members of that sect open their eyes with horror . He had , moreover , confirmed the skipper in the error of his ways by calling him a bargee , the ranks of the Baptists receiving a defender if not a recruit from that hour . With the influence of the religious argument still upon him , the skipper , as the long summer 's day gave place to night , fell to wondering where his own mate , who was also his brother-in-law , had got to . Lights which had been struggling with the twilight now burnt bright and strong , and the skipper , moving from the shadow to where a band of light fell across the deck , took out a worn silver watch and saw that it was ten o'clock . Almost at the same moment a dark figure appeared on the jetty above and began to descend the ladder , and a strongly built young man of twenty-two sprang nimbly to the deck . `` Ten o'clock , Ted , '' said the skipper , slowly . `` It 'll be eleven in an hour 's time , '' said the mate , calmly .