about eight o'clock
It was nearing five o'clock when the boat slipped into view around the tree-covered point of land and headed straight for our hiding place on the bank . I shall not stop here to describe the first stage of our journey through the narrow , rocky by-roads that ended eventually in the broad , alpine highway south and west of Vienna . Let it be sufficient to say that we jostled along for twelve or fifteen miles without special incident , although we were nervously anxious and apprehensive . Our guide book pointed , or rather twiddled , a route from the river flats into the hills , where we came up with the main road about eight o'clock . We were wrapped and goggled to the verge of ludicrousness . It would have been quite impossible to penetrate our motor-masks and armour , even for one possessed of a keen and practiced eye . The Countess was heavily veiled ; great goggles bulged beneath the green , gauzy thing that protected her lovely face from sun , wind and man .