half past three o'clock in the morning
`` Well , you could n't have done better , if you had been officers in His Majesty 's service , '' the admiral said . `` You have saved me the loss of my two plate chests , of all the plate in this room -- and that could n't be counted in money , for they were most of the things given me , at different times , on service -- and of 500 pounds I had in that box upstairs -- altogether , at least 2000 pounds in money value . More than that , you prevented my being captured ; and it would have been a sorer blow , to me , than the loss of the money , if those scoundrels had had their way , and had got off scot free . `` But you have n't told me , yet , how you happened to be going up the hill , at half past three o'clock in the morning . What on earth were you doing there ? Surely your master does not allow you to ramble about , in the middle of the night . '' `` Well , no , sir , that is the worst of it , '' Bob said .