midnight
It was southerly , and the boat tore rapidly through the water . Two hours later Stephen let the foresail run down , and under the reduced sail the boat went more lightly and easily over the rising sea . By evening he had stowed the mainsail altogether , and slackening the jib sheet held on his course . By midnight it was blowing a gale . He raised the gaff four or five feet , put lashings round the sail to prevent its blowing out , and then hauling on the weather sheet let her lay to , taking now his place at the tiller , so as to be able to bring her head up did she pay off the wind . It was an anxious night , but the little craft was lightly ballasted and buoyant , and rose to the seas without taking any great quantity of water over the bows . For two days the storm continued .