one o'clock
He took his capture very philosophically , but Marcy was sure he did some deep and earnest thinking while he stood on the privateer 's quarterdeck , pulling his whiskers , and looking back at the vessel he had lost . Marcy almost wished that he could change places with him so that he could enter the navy as soon as he was released , and assist in sweeping the sea of such crafts as the _ Osprey . _ He dared not speak to him , for that would excite suspicion , and the prisoner , who looked at Marcy now and then , probably thought the boy as good a rebel as there was on board . The low sand dunes about Hatteras Inlet , as well as the unfinished walls of the forts that were to defend it , came up out of the sea shortly after daylight the next morning , and at one o'clock the _ Osprey _ and her prize sailed through , loudly cheered by the working parties ashore . The prisoner now reminded Captain Beardsley of the promise he had made regarding the crew of the _ Mary Hollins _ , but Beardsley got out of it by saying that he had no way of signaling to the prize , and could not think of waiting for her to come alongside so that he could hail her . The truth was Captain Beardsley believed that the Yankees would fight if they were given half a chance . The sound upon which the vessels were now sailing was a pretty large body of water , Newborn was still many miles away , and if the _ Hollins 's _ men were freed from their irons , they might recapture their vessel and elude the _ Osprey _ during the night that was coming .