midnight
One morning , as Francisco was proceeding down to the smelting-house to open the hatches of the small decked boats which had arrived from Jambrano with ore , and which were invariably secured with a padlock by the superintendent above , to which Don Cumanos had a corresponding key , one of the chief men informed him that a vessel had anchored off the mouth of the river the day before , and weighed again early that morning , and that she was now standing off and on . ` From Carthagena , probably , beating up , ' replied Francisco . ` Valga me Dios , if I know that , sir , ' said Diego . ` I should have thought nothing about it ; but Giacomo and Pedro , who went out to fish last night , as usual , instead of coming back before midnight , have not been heard of since . ' ` Indeed ! that is strange . Did they ever stay so long before ? '