noon
So saying he rolled off to complete his quarter-deck turn , preparing however to open his fire again when he came upon the other tack . Bertram 's indignation was naturally great at what he viewed as an unprovoked outrage ; and in spite of his precarious situation , and though fully aware that he was in the Captain 's power , he was on the point of giving a loose to those feelings which calumniated innocence is at all times privileged to express -- when the boatswain tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear : `` Easy , master , easy : the Captain does n't mean all he says : he speaks worse than he thinks , when he has taken his breakfast rather early . He takes brandy to breakfast , you understand . Twice a day he hauls his wind , and speaks you as fair as a man could wish ; just afore breakfast , that 's once ; your next time 's just afore noon . Oh ! but it 's pleasant talking with the Captain then . '' At this moment Captain le Harnois was again bearing down ; and , just as he brought his broadside to bear , Bertram -- who was in the act of gathering up his scattered papers and replacing them in his pocket-book-contented himself with observing that on shore he hoped at least to meet with some magistrate that would pay more respect to papers regularly authenticated .