four in the afternoon
She was quite satisfied to sit by herself and look over the panorama of woods and lake -- and wonder more than a little what Destiny had in store for her along those silent shores . The Springs fell far behind , became a few white spots against the background of dusky green . Except for the ripples spread by their wake , the water laid oily smooth . Now , a little past four in the afternoon , she began to sense by comparison the great bulk of the western mountains , -- locally , the Chehalis Range , -- for the sun was dipping behind the ragged peaks already , and deep shadows stole out from the shore to port . Beneath her feet the screw throbbed , pulsing like an overdriven heart , and Sam Davis poked his sweaty face now and then through a window to catch a breath of cool air denied him in the small inferno where he stoked the fire box . The _ Chickamin _ cleared Echo Island , and a greater sweep of lake opened out . Here the afternoon wind sprang up , shooting gustily through a gap between the Springs and Hopyard and ruffling the lake out of its noonday siesta .