about three o’clock
In the early part of the night it had rained in heavy showers now and then , and there were one or two faint flashes of lightning , and some heavy peals of thunder , which rolled amongst the distant hills in loud shaking reverberations , which gradually became fainter and fainter , until they grumbled away in the distance in hoarse murmurs , like the low notes of an organ in one of our old cathedrals ; but now there was neither rain nor wind -- all nature seemed fearfully hushed ; for where we lay , in the smooth bight , there was no swell , not even a ripple on the glasslike sea ; the sound of the shifting of a handspike , or the tread of the men , as they ran to haul on -- a rope , or the creaking of the rudder , sounded loud and distinct . The sea in our neighbourhood was strongly phosphorescent , so that the smallest chip thrown overboard struck fire from the water , as if it had been a piece of iron cast on flint ; and when you looked over the quarter , as I delight to do , and tried to penetrate into the dark clear profound beneath , you every now and then saw a burst of pale light , like a halo , far down in the depths of the green sea , caused by the motion of some fish , or of what Jack , no great natural philosopher , usually calls blubbers ; and when the dolphin or skip-jack leapt into the air , they sparkled out from the still bosom of the deep dark water like rockets , until they fell again into their element in a flash of fire . This evening the corvette had showed no lights , and although I conjectured she was not far from us , still I could not with any certainty indicate her whereabouts . It might now have been about three o'clock , and I was standing on the aftermost gun on the starboard side , peering into the impervious darkness over the tafferel , with my dear old dog Sneezer by my side , nuzzling and fondling after his affectionate fashion , while the pilot , Peter Mangrove , stood within handspike length of me . The dog had been growling , but all in fun , and snapping at me , when in a moment he hauled off , planted his paws on the rail , looked forth into the night , and gave a short , anxious bark , Ii e the solitary pop of the sentry 's musket to alarm the main guard in outpost work . Peter Mangrove advanced , and put his arm round the dog 's neck . `` What you see , my shild ? ''