midnight
We can get a good sleep to-morrow , anyway . '' And so the long night began . The dull song of the engines , far , far below , became like the monotonous droning of giant bees , and the wash of the salt water against the side of the ship was a constantly recurring swash-h-h -- swish -- swash-h-h -- swish as the vessel plowed on and on through the darkness , toward the submarine zone and Europe and the battlefields and the trenches and the men -- millions of them -- of the Allied armies . It was near midnight , and the boys had fallen silent , Jerry with the wireless headpiece over his ears , Slim standing near the porthole , gazing out at the lone swaying light that indicated the position and the progress of the cruiser convoy on the port side . Suddenly Slim whirled around , his face pale , his muscles tense , and with a motion to Jerry signaled silence . As the latter removed the gear from his head , Slim tiptoed across the room to him . Placing his lips close to Jerry 's ears he said : `` I thought I heard someone in the battery room .