midnight
` You made it ! ' cried the ghaist , loupin ' at Gibbie 's throat ; an ' puir Gib kenned nae mair . '' And even as the monster shouted out the last words -- the words of the spectre of his cannibal vision -- Gash Gibbie seemed to us to dilate and lean forward to spring upon us . The wild-fire reeled about as though the very elements were drunken , and Wat and I fairly turned and fled , shouting insanely with terror as we ran -- leaving the silent stricken witch with the face of blood , and the misshapen elf , her hell 's brood progeny , raving and shouting on the hillside -- these two alone at midnight in the `` Nick of the Deid Wife . '' `` Aye , rin , rin , '' we heard him call after us . `` Rin fast , and Yon will maybe no ' catch ye -- till it is your hour ! '' And truly Wat and I did run in earnest , stumbling and crying out in our terror -- now falling and now getting up , then falling to the running again without a single reasonable word .