midnight
And if David had not clutched him , he would have plunged headlong from the raft into the sea in his fright and agonised terror . For hours the two boys remained in a sort of nameless terror , David feeling almost as frightened as Jonathan , although he concealed his fright in order to reassure his companion , with the terrible object that had excited their fear bobbing up and down alongside them , and occasionally coming with a crash against their frail raft , that threatened to annihilate it and send them both into the water , when it would be all over with them . The night was pitch dark , for the mist that hung over the surface of the deep appeared to increase in intensity , and they could not see even the faint glimmer of a star to cheer them ; while all they could hear was the lapping of the waves as they washed by them , and the ripple and swish of some billow as it overtopped its crest , and spent its strength in eddies of circling foam , as David could imagine -- for the darkness rendered everything invisible now , even the platform on which they were supported , and the unknown companion beside them , which might be anything , and their very hands when held before their faces . Some time after midnight , when David and Jonathan had gone through a purgatory of dread , not knowing what might happen to them any moment , the moon rose gradually from the horizon , shining faintly through a veil of clouds that almost obscured its light , and the morbid terror of the two boys was at once dispelled on their being able to perceive what it really was that had occasioned them such alarm . `` Goodness gracious me , Jonathan ! '' exclaimed David , with a tone of glad surprise in his voice , which at once aroused his friend , who was lying face downwards on the raft , with his head buried in his crossed arms . `` Why , what do you think it is that has frightened us so ?