six o'clock
The warmth of the water told him almost instantly that it had been taken from the river some time ago . He observed the change in sun and shadows . With the instinct of a man trained to note details , he pulled out his watch . It was almost six o'clock . More than three hours had passed since the sandpiper had got in front of his gun . He did not attempt to rise to his feet , but scanned with slower and more careful scrutiny the edge of the forest and the river . He had been mystified while cringing for his life behind the rock , but he was infinitely more so now .