midnight
They had seen , the evening before , St. David 's Head , and then the Welsh coast round Milford Haven , looming out black and sharp before the blaze of the inland thunder-storm ; and it had lightened all round them during the fore part of the night , upon a light south-western breeze . In vain they had strained their eyes through the darkness , to catch , by the fitful glare of the flashes , the tall masts of the Spaniard . Of one thing at least they were certain , that with the wind as it was , she could not have gone far to the westward ; and to attempt to pass them again , and go northward , was more than she dare do . She was probably lying-to ahead of them , perhaps between them and the land ; and when , a little after midnight , the wind chopped up to the west , and blew stiffly till day break , they felt sure that , unless she had attempted the desperate expedient of running past them , they had her safe in the mouth of the Bristol Channel . Slowly and wearily broke the dawn , on such a day as often follows heavy thunder ; a sunless , drizzly day , roofed with low dingy cloud , barred and netted , and festooned with black , a sign that the storm is only taking breath awhile before it bursts again ; while all the narrow horizon is dim and spongy with vapor drifting before a chilly breeze . As the day went on , the breeze died down , and the sea fell to a long glassy foam-flecked roll , while overhead brooded the inky sky , and round them the leaden mist shut out alike the shore and the chase . Amyas paced the sloppy deck fretfully and fiercely .