eight o'clock
Ben went out of the wheel-house , and the pilot did not see him again till after the _ Woodville _ reached her wharf . Lawry was sadly grieved at the attitude of his brother ; and if Ben had been a reliable person , fit for the position he aspired to obtain , he would have yielded the point . But the would-be captain was an intemperate and dissolute fellow , as unsuitable for the command as he would have been for the presidency of a bank . Early on the following morning the supplies for the _ Woodville _ were taken on board , and at eight o'clock everything was in readiness for the reception of Mr. Sherwood 's party . The steam was merrily hissing from the escape-pipe ; Ethan was busy , as he always was , in rubbing down the polished parts of the engine , and Lawry was walking up and down the forward deck . Quite a collection of people had assembled on the unfinished wharf and the shore to witness the departure of the steamer . As Captain Lawry paced the deck , there was a slight commotion in the crowd , and three persons passed through , making their way to the deck .