about six o'clock
At least , our aneroid showed that we were going upwards faster than any bird could rise , and the west wind was blowing straight for the mouth of the Elbe when we last felt it -- for , of course , in a free balloon one ceases to feel wind altogether . Neither of us spoke for some time , and then a thought struck me suddenly and I asked : -- `` Did you notice what o'clock it was when we broke loose ? '' Rutherford nodded . `` I 'm taking the time , '' said he , `` and assuming the twenty knot breeze holds , we might risk a drop about six o'clock . '' `` A drop '' meant jumping into space and trusting one 's parachute to do its business properly . I felt a sudden tightening inside me as I thought of that dive into the void , but I asked calmly enough : `` And assuming the breeze does n't hold ? '' `` Oh , it will hold all right ; it will rise if anything , '' said he .