about two o'clock in the
morning
She will not leave her anchorage until it is quite dark ; and by the time she has got round to the frigate , and the boat 's crews are ready to start , and they all get to the back of the island , it will be morning . If they send a boat it would reach the frigate after three hours ' rowing ; give them an hour to get ready and start , and three hours to row back , so that brings it to nearly the same thing . Beside , I do n't suppose in any case they would land before morning , for they would run the risk of losing their way in the woods . So my proposal is that at about two o'clock in the morning we make a start , separate as soon as we get out of the harbor , and each shift for himself . The frigate will have more than half her crew away , and being so short-handed will not be so smart with her sails , and will not be able to work half her guns ; so that at the outside two out of the three of us ought to get safely off . '' `` But suppose that the schooner happens to be round here , and they make up their minds to wait a day before attacking , we should have two of them after us then ; and that schooner sails like a witch . '' `` I have thought of that , '' Captain Vipon said .