midnight
The native crew were , he knew , devoted to him , and could be relied on to preserve the secrecy so essential to the fulfilment of the plans he had in view . The tide was falling fast , and the connecting reef between the islands was dry , so that Barry and his two companions had no trouble in crossing from one to the other , carefully avoiding the islet on which Warner 's natives were living . For nearly three hours they marched on in silence -- sometimes along the hard , white sand of the inner lagoon beaches , sometimes by narrow paths running parallel with the outer iron-bound coast , where the slow , sweeping billows curled themselves , to break with a sound like muffled thunder upon the black wall of reef fringing the silent shore . At midnight they reached a little island of not more than a mile in length and half a mile in width . In the clear starlight night they saw the figures of six persons coming towards them on the beach . Barry struck a match , held it aloft for an instant , and then called out -- `` Are you there , Mrs. Tracey ? '' `` I am here , Mr. Barry , '' and followed by three stalwart men and the two young women who had formerly accompanied her at their first meeting , Mrs. Tracey , although still slightly lame , ran to him and shook his hand warmly .