midnight
Blinks always rose early , and as soon as he was dressed , the steerage steward , every morning , brought to his room a lunch , consisting of coffee and apple-pie . He was very fond of pies , and had several made every day . Every time the men passed the galley , they saw long rows of them set out to cool . Many a midnight plundering expedition had been planned against the galley , but without success . The door and windows were securely fastened at sundown , and all attempts to effect an entrance were unavailing . It was also useless to attempt to bribe the cook , for Blinks , who was a strict accountant , always knew how many pies were made every day , and if any of them were missing , the cook was sure to suffer . One evening , while Frank and Simpson were engaged in washing up the supper-dishes , the latter inquired : `` Would you like one of those pies we saw in the galley to-day ? ''