nine o'clock
To the unspeakable satisfaction of the latter , Natas had signified his intention of accompanying him in the _ Ithuriel _ . As Natasha utterly refused to be parted so soon from her father again , one of his attendants was dispensed with and she took his place . This fact had , of course , something to do with the Admiral 's satisfaction with the arrangement . By nine o'clock the moon was high in the heavens . At that hour the fan-wheels of the little squadron rose from the decks , and at a signal from Arnold began to revolve . The three vessels ascended quietly into the air amidst the cheers and farewells of the colonists , and in single file passed slowly down the beautiful valley bathed in the brilliant moonlight . One by one they disappeared through the defile that led to the outer world , and , once clear of the mountains , the _ Ithuriel _ , with one of her consorts on either side , headed away due north at the speed of a hundred miles an hour .