midnight
We then stood on rather farther to the north than the usual track , I believe . It was night , and blowing fresh . The sky was overcast , and there was no moon , so that darkness was on the face of the deep -- not total darkness , it must be understood , for that is seldom known at sea . I was in the middle watch , from midnight to four o'clock , and had been on deck about half-an-hour when the look-out forward sang out , `` Ship ahead -- starboard -- hard a star-board ! '' These words made the second mate , who had the watch , jump into the weather rigging . `` A ship ! '' he exclaimed .