five o'clock
But you speak , at present , much better Spanish than the people here and , if you were dressed up as a young Spaniard , you might go about Spain without anyone suspecting you to be English . '' Indeed , by the professor 's method of teaching -- assisted by a natural aptitude , and three hours ' daily conversation , for five months -- Bob had made surprising progress , especially as he had supplemented his lesson by continually talking Spanish with Manola , with the Spanish woman and children living below them , and with everyone he could get to talk to . He had seen little of Jim , since the trouble began ; as leave was , for the most part , stopped -- the ships of war being in readiness to proceed to sea , at a moment 's notice , to engage an enemy , or to protect merchantmen coming in from the attacks of the Spanish ships and gunboats , across at Algeciras . Bob generally got up at five o'clock , now , and went out for two or three hours before breakfast ; for the heat had become too great for exercise , during the day . He greatly missed the market , for it had given him much amusement to watch the groups of peasant women -- with their baskets of eggs , fowls , vegetables , oranges , and fruit of various kinds -- bargaining with the townspeople , and joking and laughing with the soldiers . The streets were now almost deserted , and many of the little traders in vegetables and fruit had closed their shops . The fishermen , however , still carried on their work , and obtained a ready sale for their catch .