eight o'clock
He leaned heavily upon me , breathing hard , stooping very much and trembling . When we got to his cabin I perceived that he would never be able to climb into his hammock , nor had I the power to hoist a man of his bulk so high . To end the perplexity I cut the hammock down and laid it on the deck , and covering him with a heap of clothes , unslung the lanthorn , wished him good-night , closed the door , and returned to the furnace . It was not yet eight o'clock . I was restless in my mind , under a great surprise , and was not sleepy . I filled a pipe , made me a little pannikin of punch , and sat down before the fire to think . If ever I had suspected the accuracy of my conjecture that the Frenchman 's sudden astonishing indisposition was the effect of his extreme age coming upon him and breaking down the artificial vitality with which he had bristled into life under my hands , I must have found fifty signs to set my misgivings at rest in his drowsiness , nodding , bowed form , weakness , his tottering and trembling , and other features of his latest behaviour .