five O'clock
It was three nights later that they first saw the aeroplane drifting above them . Asuncion does not at all compare in beauty or in thrift with the other capital cities of South America . The government of the republic is so unstable that business men are loath to make heavy investments there . For one thing the town is poorly lighted , and when Ned came , in view of the place at five O'clock the few street lamps were already out . People were abroad at that early hour , however , and small crowds soon gathered on the street corners to watch the great airship approach . What Ned could not see was the intense excitement around the government offices . In ten minutes from the time the airship showed above the city , messengers were out in the streets and officials of the lower rank were headed for their offices .