five o'clock
The boys gathered that much from the conversation , so that , for the present , he must be left to the tender care of the Professor , until later events are recorded . From Hutoton the ship sailed directly north , it being understood that if no land was sighted before evening it would be useless to go farther in that direction . The _ Pioneer _ was a good sailer , and could easily , with a fair wind , make ten miles an hour , so they would have fully seven hours ' run to test out their theory of land in that direction . Before five o'clock John , who was constantly on the watch , came to the Professor and remarked that he believed the haze to the north indicated the presence of land . This was soon communicated to the boys , and there was no more idleness from that time on . John 's theory was correct . Slowly certain fixed objects appeared and some outlines that looked like mountains , and the boys could not repress their anxiety at the anticipated shore .