midnight
But Lurcher was ill , and had been sent to a neighboring vet . 's . And it also happened -- just , as it were , in the nick of time -- that Farmer King was returning very late from visiting a neighboring fair . He had been kept by a friend until past midnight , and had driven home through the woods . As Pauline got to the gate the farmer drew up his mare within a few feet of the tired girl . He saw a girl standing by the gate , and could not make out who she was or what she was doing . He said gruffly : `` You get out of this .