midnight
We had to set up and watch one another . Pity , that was ; pity to put that kind of a strain on us , because there was bad blood between us from a couple of weeks back , and we was only friends in the way of business . Bad anyway , seeing there was only two di ` monds betwixt three men . First we had supper , and then tramped up and down the deck together smoking till most midnight ; then we went and set down in my stateroom and locked the doors and looked in the piece of paper to see if the di ` monds was all right , then laid it on the lower berth right in full sight ; and there we set , and set , and by-and-by it got to be dreadful hard to keep awake . At last Bud Dixon he dropped off . As soon as he was snoring a good regular gait that was likely to last , and had his chin on his breast and looked permanent , Hal Clayton nodded towards the di ` monds and then towards the outside door , and I understood . I reached and got the paper , and then we stood up and waited perfectly still ; Bud never stirred ; I turned the key of the outside door very soft and slow , then turned the knob the same way , and we went tiptoeing out onto the guard , and shut the door very soft and gentle .