midnight
The Captain , with surprising briskness for so large a man , pulled some folded charts from his pocket . Without a word the three men rose and went over to the table , pushing aside the china bowl filled with flowers to spread the charts flat on the table top . Captain Blizzard leaned his knuckles on the boards . `` The tide will be high at midnight , sir , '' he informed them . `` See '' -- he pointed a short forefinger at a spot on one chart -- `` here is the sandbar that the tide covers for but a short time , and should there be other ships crowding the river near this point , we must slip through there then or not at all . '' Mr. Wicker examined the charts and nodded . `` Very well , '' he said , `` so must it be , '' and Chris felt that his heartbeat would stifle him , it pounded so fast and thickly in his throat .