about midday
So saying , he and the Captain , followed by Rover with drooping tail , started for the coastguard-station on the beach . However , on getting there , their fears , instead of being dispelled , were , on the contrary , alarmingly heightened ! Hellyer told them that he had not come on duty until a late hour in the day ; and had then not seen anything of either Bob or Dick . `` The man as I relieved , '' continued the coastguardsman , `` told me as how he seed two boys in the Cap ` en 's boat about midday ; and , all at once , arter his dinner , for which he goes into the cabin , you know , he misses the boat and the boys too . But , he does n't think anythink o ' this , he says , believin ' they has took her into the harbour . '' `` Confound him ! '' cried the Captain excitedly .