seven o'clock in the morning
Now , when this occurred , I was more severely punished than on any other occasion ; for , to the neglect of duty , I added contempt both of his rank and the instruction he was offering to me . His wrath was also considerably increased when he only discovered my departure by the tittering of the other midshipmen and the quarter-master at the conn. . One evening , I completed my disgrace with him , though a great deal might be said in my own favour . He had sent me to the fore-topmast head , at seven o'clock in the morning , and very unfeelingly , or forgetfully , kept me there the whole day . When he went off deck to his dinner , I came down into the top , made a bed for myself in one of the top-gallant studding sails , and , desiring the man who had the look-out to call me before the lieutenant was likely to come on deck , I very quietly began to prepare a sacrifice to my favourite deity , Somnus ; but as the look-out man did not see the lieutenant come up , I was caught napping just at dusk , when the lieutenant came on deck , and did me the honour to remember where he had left me . Looking at the fore-topmast head , he called me down . Like Milton 's devils , who were `` found sleeping by one they dread , '' up I sprung , and regained my perch by the topsail-tie , supposing , or rather hoping , that he would not see me before the mast , in the obscurity of the evening ; but he was too lynx-eyed , and had not presence of mind enough _ not _ to see what he should not have seen .