midnight
She remained motionless at her anchor , and the cable stretched vertically downward to the ground . Uncle Prudent and his colleague , imagining they were under way again , sat shut up in their cabin , exchanging but a few words , and listening to the f-r-r-r-r of the suspensory screws , which drowned every other sound on board . They were waiting till the time of action arrived . A little before midnight Uncle Prudent said , `` It is time ! '' Under the berths in the cabin was a sliding box , forming a small locker , and in this locker Uncle Prudent put the dynamite and the slow-match . In this way the match would burn without betraying itself by its smoke or spluttering . Uncle Prudent lighted the end and pushed back the box under the berth with `` Now let us go aft , and wait . ''