four o’clock in the afternoon
And Port Elizabeth was one hundred and eighteen miles away , and the Seven Stars might leave earlier if she had completed her cargo and wind and weather served . Moreover , if she did leave , it might be weeks or months before any other ship sailed for Delagoa Bay , for in those days , of course , there were no mail boats . I looked at my watch . It was four o'clock in the afternoon , and from a calendar we had , which gave the tides at Port Elizabeth and other South African harbours , it did not seem probable that the Seven Stars would sail , if she kept to her date , before about eight on the morrow . One hundred and twenty miles to be covered in , say , fourteen hours over rough country with some hills ! Well , on the other hand , the roads were fairly good and dry , with no flooded rivers to cross , although there might be one to swim , and there was a full moon . It could be done -- barely , and now I was glad indeed that Hernan Pereira had not won my swift mare in that shooting match .