one o'clock
But Nature were n't of the same mind . I growed six foot tall afore I was seventeen -- my mother 's family was all whackers -- and so riding was out of the question , and I went on the land and worked behind the horses instead of on 'em . Well , the river ran very suent through the water-meadows below my village , and there was wonnerful fine stickles and reaches for trout , and proper deep pools for salmon . And on a fine night in June , with the moonlight bright as day , I was down beside it a bit after one o'clock , busy about a little matter of night-lines . I meant to make an experiment , too , because I 'd read in a book how the salmon will come up to stare if you hold a bright light over 'em . They 'll goggle up at you and get dazed by the light , and then you can spear 'em as easy as picking blackberries . 'T was news to me , but a thing very well to know if true , and I got a bull 's - eye lantern to prove it .