midnight
He arose at sun-up , clear-headed , calm . All day he worked like a machine , increasing his speed as the hours flew . He took good care to eat and drink , and , above all , to smoke at regular intervals , but he did not leave his room . By dark he had much of the task behind him ; by midnight he began to have hope ; toward dawn he saw the end ; and when daylight came he collapsed . He had deciphered the tank and superstructure plans on forty-five sets of blueprints , had formulated a proposition , exclusive of substructure work , basing a price per pound on the American market then ruling , f.o.b. tidewater , New York . He had the proposition in his pocket when he tapped on the ground-glass door of Mr. Peebleby 's office at ten-twenty-nine Thursday morning . The Director General of the great Robinson-Ray Syndicate was genuinely surprised to learn that the young American had completed a bid in so short a time , then requested him , somewhat absent-mindedly , to leave it on his desk where he could look it over at his leisure .