midnight
Hour by hour , the heat grew more oppressive . As the day declined , there were ominous appearances in the western heaven . The natives , who had given some trouble during the day by their anxiety to see the Captain , and by their curiosity to know the cause of the sudden preparations for the ship 's departure , all went ashore together , looking suspiciously at the sky , and reappeared no more . Just at midnight , the ship -LRB- still in her snug berth inside the reef -RRB- suddenly trembled from her keel to her uppermost masts . Mr. Duncalf , surrounded by the startled crew , shook his knotty fist at the island as if he could see it in the dark . `` My lads , what did I tell you ? That was a shock of earthquake . ''