ten
o'clock
`` No one not on board , '' I replied . `` Everybody else will know the secret , so that I shall gain nothing . But we will not quarrel about trifles . '' Everybody on board was tired enough to retire early , and before ten o'clock we had the deck and pilot-house to ourselves . The watches continued the same as before . Washburn gave up his berth in our room to Billy Bell , as we learned to call him , for the captain and mate never had their watch below at the same time , and we could both occupy the same bed at different times . The river is a mile wide , and at the present high stage of the water , there was no difficulty in steering , under the instructions of the pilot .