about midnight
Joseph was profuse in his expressions of gratitude , for with so much money in his pocket he need not go a-fishing again for a month or more , and protested with all his might that he would not mention them to anybody . The night was dark enough to conceal the Eleuthera after she got away from the shore , but not so dark that the skipper could not find his way around the reefs to Hogfish Cut . It was high tide , as it had been when they came inside of the rocks , and the boat went along quite briskly in the fresh west wind that was still blowing . Without accident or incident of importance , though the wind was ahead a portion of the way , the boat reached the Cut at about midnight . She stuck on a reef at this point , but very lightly , though it required half an hour or more to get her off . She made no water , and did not appear to be injured . Without further mishap the Eleuthera passed through the opening in the reefs , and , taking the bearing of the light on Gibbs Hill , Mr. Gilfleur , as Christy began to call him from this time , laid his course to the south-west .