midnight
Two days out we were caught in a storm . Storms get up in a hurry , and go down in a hurry , in those parts . The vessel behaved nobly : I declare I feel the tears in my eyes now , when I think of her at the bottom of the sea ! Toward sunset it began to moderate ; and by midnight , except for a long , smooth swell , the sea was as quiet as need be . I went below , a little tired -LRB- having helped in working the yacht while the gale lasted -RRB- , and fell asleep in five minutes . About two hours after , I was woke by something falling into my cabin through a chink of the ventilator in the upper part of the door . I jumped up , and found a bit of paper with a key wrapped in it , and with writing on the inner side , in a hand which it was not very easy to read .