midnight
As she cut away my bonds , she told me that from the entrance to our cave she had seen the Band-lu coming out of the forest with me , and she had followed until they took me into the cave , which she had seen was upon the opposite side of the cliff in which ours was located ; and then , knowing that she could do nothing for me until after the Band-lu slept , she had hastened to return to our cave . With difficulty she had reached it , after having been stalked by a cave-lion and almost seized . I trembled at the risk she had run . It had been her intention to wait until after midnight , when most of the carnivora would have made their kills , and then attempt to reach the cave in which I was imprisoned and rescue me . She explained that with my rifle and pistol -- both of which she assured me she could use , having watched me so many times -- she planned upon frightening the Band-lu and forcing them to give me up . Brave little girl ! She would have risked her life willingly to save me .