midnight
But she was driving in a direction that would carry her right into the track of the vortex of the storm , to encounter which , in her wrecked and helpless condition , would infallibly mean her destruction . As the day wore on , the wind gradually shifted round further from the eastward , and by nightfall it was blowing from about east-south-east , and showing some signs of moderating , although it still blew very heavily ; much too heavily indeed to justify us in sending any hands aloft to fish our sprung mast-head . Nevertheless , every preparation was made for the commencement of the operation at the earliest possible moment , as we had detected signs on board the barque indicative of an intention to send a new main-topmast up without delay ; which might or might not mean that a suspicion as to our true character had begun to dawn upon them . By midnight the gale had moderated to a strong breeze , and the sky had cleared sufficiently to permit of a little moonlight percolating through between the denser clouds , and we were then able to make out -- to our inexpressible chagrin -- that the barque 's people had already got their new topmast aloft and ridded , and were getting their main-topsail-yard across , having been hard at work , doubtless , ever since darkness set in , though how they had managed to perform their task was a puzzle to us . It was , however , another evidence of the resolute character of their skipper ; another hint to us that we should have all our work cut out to bag him ; and the carpenter was therefore at once sent for , and set forthwith to the task of fishing our mast-head with all possible expedition . The task was not half executed , however , when we had the mortification to see our neighbour sheet home his double-reefed topsails and make sail to the westward . This sight put our men upon their mettle ; they could vividly picture to themselves the laugh that the slavers would be enjoying at our expense , should they have suspected our intentions toward them , and before the barque was absolutely out of sight from aloft , Chips had managed to make such a job of his work as enabled us to make sail also .