midnight
All through that night the men watched and strained their eyes in every direction , expecting to see the old sailor rise on some crest ; and more than one sailor that night cheered his drooping feelings with the firm belief that some mysterious agency would give them back the old captain before morning . There was no one on that ship , however , who felt the loss more seriously than Tite . It seemed to change all his prospects , to throw a shadow over his future . He paced the deck , silent and thoughtful , until long after midnight . To him the captain had been not only a friend , but a father . Between them there had grown up the strongest of attachments . Tite had looked forward to the time when this odd old man would have lifted him into the confidence of his owners , and perhaps secured his future prosperity .