four o'clock
Instead , the head of each man was turned toward the road that skirted the harbor and wound its way between the pines at the foot of the hill where the white cottage stood . `` He 'd oughter be comin ' pretty soon , had n't he ? '' Captain Phineas ventured at last , unable longer to restrain his impatience . `` He said four o'clock in his letter . It must be ` most that , do n't you think ? '' `` Mighty nigh unto it , '' replied Captain Benjamin . `` As I reckon it , havin ' made the necessary allowances for my watch losin ' three-an ' - a-quarter minutes an hour , it should be about four now . ''