midnight
`` All right , I 'll be here at midnight . Could you get me the cartridges out of my knapsack upstairs ? '' The Squire produced the cartridges , and the lawyer went back to his post-office quarters . Punctually at midnight he returned , and relieved Mr. Carruthers in front of the house , while Timotheus took Mr. Terry 's place behind . It was after one when he saw a figure , which he did not recognize as belonging to any one in the house , steal out of the front door with a heavy burden . He ran towards the figure , and it stole , as rapidly as possible , down the garden to the hill meadow . He knew it now , outlined against the heavens , and fired his revolver .