seven
o'clock
She agreed at last , provided Jack had my cloak , and Fritz the boots , and that they should take the lantern . Thus equipped , they set out ; I accompanied them outside the tree ; Fritz assuring me they would be back in three hours , at most . He intended to proceed along the rocks towards Tent House , to make what observations he could ; for , as he told me , he could not get the poor captain and his vessel out of his head . It was now seven o'clock ; I gave them my blessing , and left them with injunctions to be prudent , and returned with an anxious heart to my invalids . * * * * * On entering , I found Francis sitting on his mother 's bed , telling her the story of the lightning , of the wire which was called _ a conductor _ , of the figs that he was going to gather for her , and that papa had called him -- little Francis -- _ the preserver of the whole family _ . Having briefly explained to them the results of Francis 's fortunate device , I procured some raw potato to apply to Ernest 's hand , which still gave him great pain , and bathed my wife 's foot with some _ eau d'arquebusade _ , which I procured from my medicine-chest ; here I also met with some laudanum , a few drops of which I infused into the lemonade , wishing her to sleep till her sons returned .