noon
There seemed nothing else to do but wait , so they crouched behind rocks to find shelter from the gale and tried to be patient . Every little while a dash of spray would find someone out and then there would be a shriek and a scramble for another rock higher up on the shore . Thus the afternoon wore away . It had been practically twilight since noon . `` What are you doing , Captain , admiring the view ? '' asked Slim , when the Captain had been looking out over the tossing lake for fully five minutes . `` Quite some view , '' said the Captain , who was deeply impressed by the ferocity of wind and wave , `` but I was doing something besides admiring it .