about three
o'clock in the morning
These matters being settled , I returned to the _ Cassandra _ again . That night I had but little sleep , but was in and out of my cabin continually . Whenever I was upon the deck I could hear the `` click , click , click '' of the capstan aboard the pirate vessel , sounding more clearly through the dampness of the night than in the daytime . There was still not a breath of air going , and I thought it likely that the pirate intended making her way into the harbor that night , but about three o'clock in the morning the noise of working the capstan ceased , and I fancied that I heard a sound as of dropping anchor , though I could make out nothing through the darkness , even with the night-glass . Nor was I mistaken in my surmise that the pirate craft had come to anchor , for when the day broke I perceived that she lay between two and three miles away , just outside of the capes , and directly athwart the channel , being stayed by warps , broadside on , as we ourselves were in the harbor , so as to rake any vessel that should endeavor to come out , as we might rake any that would endeavor to come in . As this day also was very quiet , with not a breath of wind stirring , I expected that the pirate would open fire , though at such a long range . However , this she did not do , but lay there as though watching us , and as though to hold us where we were until some opportunity or other had ripened .