four o'clock
`` Well , sir , '' was the answer , `` I really do n't know so very much about it , when all 's told ; but I 'm not very greatly surprised . The way that things have been going aboard this ship , ever since poor Cap'n Matthews died , has been enough to prepare a man for anything , mutiny included . I had the middle watch last night , and , as you know -- or perhaps you do n't know -- it was very overcast and dark all through the watch , so it 's not very surprisin ' that I saw nothing of the land , even if it was in sight -- which I doubt , seein ' that it 's low -- and Cap'n Williams , who ought to have known that we was drawin ' in close upon the coast , never gave me any warning of the ship 's position , or said anything about keepin ' an extra good look-out , or anything of that sort . Consequently , when the bo 's ` un relieved me at four o'clock this mornin ' , I did n't pass on any particular caution to him . As a matter of fact I had n't a notion that we were anywhere near the land ! Consequently , when the commotion of haulin ' down and clewin ' up awoke me , and when , upon rushin ' out on deck to see what was the matter , I found that the ship was ashore , I was regularly flabbergasted ! But I had n't much time for surprise , or anything else either , for the skipper was on deck and in charge ; and I must confess that the cool way in which he took everything made me think that he was n't nearly so surprised at what had happened as by rights he ought to have been .