eleven o'clock
I could not help thinking of the morning before , and its search , but the excitement now kept up my spirits ; it was something so new to be thus suddenly dismissed from lessons , and trusted to help in what was evidently considered a matter of some anxiety ; _ why _ they should be so anxious I did not trouble myself to reflect , having little idea but that Aleck had wandered further than he intended , and perhaps experienced some difficulty on his way home . We glided along quickly and pleasantly enough , past the first inlet , and the second , from our own Cove , scrutinizing all the banks , and rocks , and shady nooks , so familiar through many a wild exploring of ours ; to reach the third we were obliged to stand out a considerable distance to sea , as the promontory bounding the White-Rock Cove on this side stretched far beyond the other rocky buttresses , making one of the most prominent land-marks in that part of the south coast . It was underneath its shelter that we had lunched the day before , and as we passed by the broad , flat stone in the little creek , the conversation we had had there repeated itself again and again in my mind . It was about half-past eleven o'clock when we had cleared this point , and George gave the order to haul down sail . `` It 's best to take to the oars now , Master Willie ; we 'd be a long while at it if we tacked -- Now , Ralph , pull steady -- You 'll be about right if you keep her head straight for the White-Rock , Master Willie '' -- I was at the helm -- `` ease her , ease her a bit ; more to port , sir , more to port -- now steady again -- now ship oars -- the tide 's running in pretty fast , and will carry us in . '' George 's commands , thus given at intervals as we doubled the promontory and made for the Cove , alone broke silence , until , having shipped oars , there was nothing particular for him to do , and then all at once his tongue seemed unloosed . `` Poor boy , '' he said , `` it would be a sad day to us all if aught has happened amiss to him , and his parents too off in foreign parts .