two o'clock
Meanwhile Captain Jamie fretted his head off and prepared for the night , while Winwood passed the word along to the forty lifers to be ready for the break . And two hours after midnight every guard in the prison was under orders . This included the day-shift which should have been asleep . When two o'clock came , they rushed the cells occupied by the forty . The rush was simultaneous . The cells were opened at the same moment , and without exception the men named by Winwood were found out of their bunks , fully dressed , and crouching just inside their doors . Of course , this was verification absolute of all the fabric of lies that the poet-forger had spun for Captain Jamie .