midnight
They could not , of course , see how it looked from the outside , but Tom had selected a place for its cutting so that the sawdust and the mark of the panel that was being removed , would not ordinarily be noticeable . They set night as the time for making the attempt -- late at night , when it was hoped that most of their captors would be asleep . Finally the last cut was made , and a piece of wood hung over the opening only by a shred , all ready to knock out . `` We 'll do it at midnight , '' announced Tom . Anxious , indeed , were those last hours of waiting . The time had almost arrived for the attempt , when Tom , who had been nervously pacing to and fro , remarked : `` We must be running into another storm . Feel how she heaves and rolls ! ''