noon
And let me tell you , men , that to fall into the hands of the Spaniards here means being clapt into the Inquisition . And of those who get into the Inquisition not one in a hundred ever gets out again . Therefore , never leave your boat , under any circumstances whatsoever , except at the express command of your officers . '' It was by this time considerably past noon ; the food was therefore produced , and all hands partook of a meal , after which there was nothing to be done until the evening ; the men therefore disposed themselves in the bottom of the boat and took such snatches of sleep as the mosquitoes permitted , while Marshall and Dick sat in the stern-sheets and discussed plans for the morrow . At length , however , after an interval of waiting that soon grew terribly wearisome , the sun went down , darkness fell , and they pushed off the boat and got under way . There was now a young moon of about four days old , and before she too set she afforded them light enough to make their way across the lower bay , a distance of about three and a half miles , to the island of Tierra Bomba , and to find the indentation to which Dick had directed Marshall 's attention earlier in the day . It proved to be a particularly snug little cove , about half a mile long by perhaps a quarter of a mile wide , with thickly wooded hills sloping down toward it on either side at its upper extremity .