midnight
When , a little later , Janet took a plate of tongue over to his bunk , he was fast asleep . The others had a dismal , grumpy meal , and they were glad when the washing-up was done and it was bedtime . But no one had a good night . The rain dropped from the trees on to the Slowcoach 's roof with loud thuds , and at midnight the thunder and lightning began , and Janet got up and splashed out in the wet to the tent to ask Robert if they ought not to move from under the trees . Robert had been lying awake thinking the same thing , but Kink had gone off with Moses to the nearest farm , and the Slowcoach was far too heavy to move without the horse . Diogenes whimpered on his chain . If he could have spoken , he would have said , like Gregory , `` I hate thunder . ''