two o'clock
The ground shook beneath his tremendous weight , and his gulpings of water resounded through the still night . For five minutes he was so close to my rock that by stretching out my hand I could have touched the hideous waving hackles upon his back . Then he lumbered away and was lost among the boulders . Looking at my watch , I saw that it was half-past two o'clock , and high time , therefore , that I started upon my homeward journey . There was no difficulty about the direction in which I should return for all along I had kept the little brook upon my left , and it opened into the central lake within a stone 's - throw of the boulder upon which I had been lying . I set off , therefore , in high spirits , for I felt that I had done good work and was bringing back a fine budget of news for my companions . Foremost of all , of course , were the sight of the fiery caves and the certainty that some troglodytic race inhabited them .