midnight
After a keen sail before the wind , this fourth boat -- the swiftest keeled of all -- seemed to have succeeded in fastening -- at least , as well as the man at the mast-head could tell anything about it . In the distance he saw the diminished dotted boat ; and then a swift gleam of bubbling white water ; and after that nothing more ; whence it was concluded that the stricken whale must have indefinitely run away with his pursuers , as often happens . There was some apprehension , but no positive alarm , as yet . The recall signals were placed in the rigging ; darkness came on ; and forced to pick up her three far to windward boats -- ere going in quest of the fourth one in the precisely opposite direction -- the ship had not only been necessitated to leave that boat to its fate till near midnight , but , for the time , to increase her distance from it . But the rest of her crew being at last safe aboard , she crowded all sail -- stunsail on stunsail -- after the missing boat ; kindling a fire in her try-pots for a beacon ; and every other man aloft on the look-out . But though when she had thus sailed a sufficient distance to gain the presumed place of the absent ones when last seen ; though she then paused to lower her spare boats to pull all around her ; and not finding anything , had again dashed on ; again paused , and lowered her boats ; and though she had thus continued doing till daylight ; yet not the least glimpse of the missing keel had been seen . The story told , the stranger Captain immediately went on to reveal his object in boarding the Pequod .