midnight
`` What permission had he to be away ? '' `` I gave him leave to visit town on personal business yesterday afternoon . He merely asked to be away a few hours to meet friends in town , and Mr. Hall took tattoo roll-call for him . As I do not require any other officer to report the time of his return , I did not exact it of him ; but of course no man can be away after midnight without special permission , and he was gone all night . What is it , Armitage ? Has he followed her down there ? '' `` Somebody was there last night and capsized the colonel pretty much as he did you the night of the ladder episode , '' said Armitage , coolly .