noon
Then -- I think it was about the sixteenth day after the unearthing of the treasure -- without any previous warning or notice whatever to me -- I saw them striking tents ashore , immediately after breakfast ; and by noon everything had been brought off to the brig again , and the men had once more taken up their quarters in her forecastle . The remainder of that day was devoted to the task of rebending the canvas ; but it was not until noon of the next day that the brig was again in a condition to go to sea . That afternoon , and the greater part of the following day , was devoted to the task of replenishing the brig 's stock of fresh water , collecting an abundant supply of fruit , and -- presumably -- recovering possession of their hidden treasure ; and after breakfast next morning the crew went leisurely to work to get under way . It took us until noon to work our way out to sea ; and as soon as we were fairly clear of the barrier reef , everybody went to dinner . The weather had been fine , with moderate breezes from about west-north-west , during the entire period of our sojourn at the island , and we left it under like conditions . Our course for the Horn was a south-easterly one , which brought the wind nicely over the starboard quarter , and the breeze was of just the right strength to enable us to show the whole of our starboard flight of studding-sails to it , and to handsomely reel off our eleven knots per hour by the log . Under these circumstances we were not long in running the island out of sight ; and with its disappearance below the horizon I hoped that my troubles -- except , of course , such as might arise from bad weather -- were at an end .