About midnight
I would get up boldly in the course of the night , and drawing the slide , issue from the house , and pretend that my object was merely to procure a drink from the calabash , which always stood without the dwelling on the corner of the pi-pi . On re-entering I would purposely omit closing the passage after me , and trusting that the indolence of the savages would prevent them from repairing my neglect , would return to my mat , and waiting patiently until all were again asleep , I would then steal forth , and at once take the route to Pueearka . The very night which followed Marnoo 's departure , I proceeded to put this project into execution . About midnight , as I imagined , I arose and drew the slide . The natives , just as I had expected , started up , while some of them asked , ` Arware poo awa , Tommo ? ' -LRB- where are you going , Tommo ? -RRB- ` Wai ' -LRB- water -RRB- I laconically answered , grasping the calabash .