midnight
The young navigators talked lightly of the present and the future , as the boat floated gently along through the gloomy forest . They heard the Redfield clock strike twelve , and then one . The excitement had begun to die out . Harry yawned , for he missed his accustomed sleep , and felt that a few hours ' rest in his bed at the poorhouse was even preferable to navigating the river at midnight . Ben gaped several times , and the fun was really getting very stale . Those `` who go down to the sea in ships , '' or navigate the river in boats , must keep their eyes open . It will never do to slumber at the helm ; and Harry soon had a practical demonstration of the truth of the proposition .