midnight
Had they been hung , or even drowned , they would have been heroes , even though dead ones ; but this trick would turn a laugh against them as long as they lived . Luckily for the two unfortunates , right below the place from which they were lowered , instead of the river running in its regular channel , there was a great eddy , or swirl , where the water had cut a deep hole in the sandy river bed . Here the water was quite deep and had but little movement , except a slow circling motion . In this they swung at anchor , from midnight until broad daylight . The water caused the ropes to shrink and draw until they suffered a great deal where they cut into their wrists , making it an utter impossibility for them to untie the knots , although they worked diligently trying to get them loose in some way . The water was cold and their limbs soon became so numb that they could hardly move either hands or legs . They wore their voices out calling for help .