about nine o'clock in
the evening
Bernard had probably meant to deceive her , but Mordaunt thought he would not meddle . He went to his room and stopped for some time , smoking and pondering . A few days afterwards , Jim and Jake , wearing long waders and yellow oilskins , crept up a hollow in the sands . It was about nine o'clock in the evening , they were a mile from land , and light mist drifted about the bay , but the moon shone through . The tide was flowing , the water rippled noisily in the channel , and flakes of muddy foam and trailing weed floated past . The harsh cry of a black-backed gull rang across the flats and small wading birds whistled about the water 's edge . Farther off , the clanging call of black geese came out of the mist .