nearly midnight
before
`` We must give it up for to-day . '' Tom said no word but hurriedly replaced his extreme garments , and together we slowly made our way back to reach the light in time to see that the sun was very low down in the horizon , when completely wearied out we sat down to finish our provision , a very easy task , for I had only intended my store for one . But I must give Tom the credit of saying that he would not eat without much pressing , declaring that his pipe would satisfy him . An hour after we were making our way back to the hacienda with , fortunately for us , a bright moon overhead , but it was nearly midnight before we reached the court-yard . Tom was inexhaustible in his schemes , and at the end of three days he had contrived the very thing we required , in a light little raft composed of a few bamboo wands confining together a couple of inflated calf or small heifer skins , which floated lightly on the river like a pair of huge bladders . `` There , Mas ' r Harry , what do you say to them , eh ? Let all the wind out and double 'em up , cut fresh sticks over there by the cave , blow the bags out again , and there you are fitted up in style . ''