midnight
The luggage was placed in a carriage , and Frank stood chatting with Dick at the door , until the guard 's cry , `` Take your places ! '' caused him to jump into the carriage . There was one more hearty handshake with his friend , and then the train steamed out of the station . It was midnight when they arrived at Liverpool , and at once went to bed at the Station Hotel . On coming down in the morning Frank was astonished at the huge heap of baggage piled up in the hall , but he was told that this was of daily occurrence , as six or eight large steamers went out from Liverpool every week for America alone , and that the great proportion of the passengers came down , as they had done , on the previous night , and slept at the Station hotel . Their own share of the baggage was not large , consisting only of a portmanteau each , Mr. Goodenough having sent down all his boxes two days previously . At twelve o'clock they went on board the Niger , bound for the west coast of Africa .