midnight
She was to start on her second trip to-day , and an hour later her rival , the steamship _ America _ , was to take her departure . The relative merits of the two vessels had been the talk of the wharf for days . Sandy had made it a rule in life to be on hand when anything was happening . He had viewed cricket-matches from tree-tops , had answered the call of fire at midnight , and tramped ten miles to see the finish of a great regatta . But something was about to take place which seemed entirely beyond his attainment . Two hours passed before he solved the problem . `` Takin ' the rest-cure , kid ? ''