two o'clock in the afternoon
Beautiful as was the day , it was one only of pain and anxiety to us . Of the few sails we saw , not one came within three miles of us . Where could Mr Clare be all this time ? The sea fell so fast that by two o'clock in the afternoon it was smooth as a lake . Harry Higginson and I sat looking at it on a point of the reef , with Ugly by our side . Ugly 's tongue hung dry from his mouth , and he panted for a drop of water , but he was pained , too , I am sure , because of our silence and dejection . Watching our faces , as if wondering what he could do for us , he at length walked down to the waterline and looked across to the cape with a long whine .