three
o'clock
My instructions were that , in the event of a sail being sighted , I was to be called at once , when I would decide as to the advisability or otherwise of making a flare to attract the attention of her crew . I was quite prepared to receive Master Julius 's refusal to participate in these night watches , but , strangely enough , he did not ; and thereby hangs a tale . The watches had been established a month or more , and no sail had been seen . Then , on a certain morning , when Julius called me at three o'clock -- my watch followed his -- I went on deck and , to my amazement , discovered the flare which I had prepared to serve as a signal blazing brilliantly , having evidently been lighted for quite a quarter of an hour . The full moon was hanging high in a cloudless sky , and the stars were shining with their usual tropical brilliance , but so bright was the light of the flames that I could see nothing outside the rail of the wreck . I therefore descended to the boy 's cabin , and , entering without ceremony , demanded to be informed of his reason for lighting the fire . `` Because I saw a ship , '' he replied .