about four
in the afternoon
After this , for a whole long week I reckon I did little more than pace the ship to and fro ; a fisherman 's walk , as they say -- three steps and overboard . I took the three steps and wished I was overboard . My father watched me queerly all the while ; but we said no word to each other , not even at meals . It was the eighth day after the fishing-boats left us , and about four in the afternoon , that we saw a brown sail standing towards us from the Islands , and my father set down the glass , resting it on the gunwale , and said : `` That 's Old John 's boat . '' I took the glass from him , and was putting it to my eye ; but had to set it down and turn my back . I could n't wait there with my eye on the boat ; so I crossed to the other side of the ship and stood staring at the Lighthouse away on the sky-line , and whispered : `` Come quickly ! '' But the wind had moved a couple of points to the east and then fallen very light , and the boat must creep towards us close-hauled .