midnight
They were burning wood , so there was no smoke , and the mast was unstepped . Yet the hours of daylight were tortured by constant fear . Even Iris was glad when the darkness came and they were hidden . At midnight a curious misfortune befell them . The compass had been smashed during the fight , and not a sailor among them owned one of the tiny compasses that are often worn as a charm on the watchchain . This drawback , of little consequence when sun or stars could be seen , assumed the most serious importance when a heavy fog spread over the face of the waters . The set of the current was a guide of a sort , but , as events proved , it misled them .