midnight
and he retired under his blanket for protection . But quiet seemed to be impossible : there were all sorts of strange sounds ; and the moon , too , was so splendid that they almost felt as if they were lying beneath the radiance of a calcium light ; while in the dark places , midst the branches of thick foliage , the owls hooted gloomily . If you had happened to be an owl in that vicinity , you might have heard not only the feverish tossing to and fro of the girls in the hammocks , but many dismal sighs and groans from Dr. Winship and the boys ; for the bare ground is , after all , more rheumatic than romantic , and they too tumbled from side to side , seeking comfort . But at midnight quiet slumber had descended upon them , and they presented a funny spectacle enough to one open-eyed watcher . A long slender sycamore log was extended before the fire , and constituted their pillow ; on this their heads reposed , each decorated with a tightly fitting silk handkerchief ; then came a compact , papoose-like roll of grey blanket , terminated by a pair of erect feet , whose generous proportions soared to different heights . There was a little snoring , too ; perhaps the log was hollow . At midnight you might have seen a quaintly despondent little figure , whose curly head issued from a hooded cloak , staggering hopelessly from a hammock , and seating herself on a mossy stump .