midnight
They sailed south in a large lorcha . Will report further when I return . `` 47 '' Leaving his unfinished dinner , he paced the floor . The midnight departure of Malabanan with his chief lieutenant and a majority of his followers might mark the beginning of outlawry , or it might be a legitimate excursion into the deepsea fisheries . Yet the secreto had said nothing of nets , and a party of twenty-four men would be in each others ' way . Terry hastened over to the cuartel , checked up the patrol chart , then called the Sergeant , who verified the position and route of each of the two-man patrols who were covering the countryside . Satisfied that his men would discover and report the landing of any strangers within a few hours after they touched soil , Terry returned to the house .