About three o'clock in the morning
That very night he had intended , on his return from Muir of Warlock , to light him up ; and now that he was driven out by the cold , he would brave , in his own den , in the heart of the snow , the enemy that had roused him , and make his experiment . He dressed himself , crept softly out , and , for a preparation , would have a good run . He trotted down the hill , beating his feet hard , until he reached the more level road , where he set out at full speed , and soon was warm as any boy need care to be . About three o'clock in the morning , the laird woke suddenly , without knowing why . But he was not long without knowing why he should not go to sleep again . From a distance , as it seemed , through the stillness of the night , in rapid succession , came three distinct shrieks , one close on the other , as from the throat of a human being in mortal terror . Never had such shrieks invaded his ears .