midnight
To Owen , the separation from his home seemed like a thing of years long ; and his heart was full to bursting as each well-remembered spot appeared , bringing back a thousand associations of his former life . As he strode along he stopped frequently to look down towards the village , where , in each light that twinkled , he could mark the different cabins of his old friends . At length , the long low farmhouse of the Joyces came into view -- he could trace it by the line of light that glittered from every window -- and from this , Owen could not easily tear himself away . Muttering a heartfelt prayer for those beneath that roof , he at last moved on , and near midnight gained the little glen where his cabin stood . Scarcely , however , had he reached the spot , when the fierce challenge of a dog attracted him . It was not his own poor colley -- he knew his voice well -- and Owen 's blood ran chilly at the sound of that strange bark . He walked on , however , resolutely grasping his stick in his hand , and suddenly , as he turned the angle of the cliff , there stood his cabin , with a light gleaming from the little window .