six o'clock
Fighting with the dash of madmen , they crowded the launch , they swarmed the jolly-boat and the life-boat . Even the engineer 's son felt the touch of contagion , and joined the _ mêlée _ . We watched their insane efforts as boat after boat put away and was swamped , leaving the devilish men to drown as the worthier fellows had drowned before them ; and amongst the last to die was `` Dick the Ranter , '' who went down with blasphemies gurgling upon his lips . When six o'clock came , Black and Karl and myself were alone upon the great ship ; and in the stillness which followed there came another weird and wild and soul-stirring shriek -- the cry of the dumb engineer , who found speech in the great catastrophe . Then Black pulled me by the arm and said -- `` Boy , they 've left nothing but the dinghy . The old ship 's done ; and it 's time you left her . '' `` And you ? ''