midnight
All nature , indeed , animate and inanimate , favoured the idea of repose when the explorers lay down to sleep on a mossy couch that was quite as soft as a feather bed , and much more springy . The cause of disturbance was the prolonged absence of Alf Vandervell . That enthusiastic naturalist 's failure to appear at supper was nothing uncommon . His non-appearance when they lay down did indeed cause some surprise , but little or no anxiety , and they all dropped into a sound sleep which lasted till considerably beyond midnight . Then the Captain awoke with a feeling of uneasiness , started up on one elbow , yawned , and gazed dreamily around . The sun , which had just kissed his hand to the disappointed horizon and begun to re-ascend the sky , blinded the Captain with his beams , but did not prevent him from observing that Alf 's place was still vacant . `` Very odd , '' he muttered , `` Alf did n't use to -- to -- w ` at 's ` is name in -- this -- way -- '' The Captain 's head dropped , his elbow relaxed , and he returned to the land of Nod for another half-hour .