one o'clock
Listening to the clamour , he remembered a map , seen somewhere in a railway guide , a map of England with the foreign cables , tiny spider-threads spun to the four quarters and thickening to a solid column at Falmouth and Cromer , the world 's arteries , he liked to think , converging to its heart . The notion of messages flashing hourly along these wires brought to mind the existence of the _ Meteor _ . He sent out for a copy of each number which had appeared since he had begun his voyage , and commencing on the task whilst he was still at breakfast , read through every article written concerning the Boruwimi expedition . He finished the last in the smoking-room shortly after one o'clock , and rose from his investigation with every appearance of relief . From the first to the final paragraph , not so much as a mention of Gorley 's name ! The reason for his relief lay in a promise which he had sent to Gorley 's father , that he would suppress the trouble as far as he could ; and Drake liked to keep his promises . Gorley had come out to Matanga with a cloudy reputation winging close at his heels .