about midnight
` It 's lonesome enough to make a bull-dog afeared , ' whispered Davies , in a frightened tone . But before long they were out of the wood ; and in the glimmer of light that lasts all night through during the summer , Stephen saw Black Thompson unwind a net , which had been wrapped round his body under his collier 's jacket . More than half the covey of partridges were bagged ; and they had such capital luck , as the men called it , that Stephen soon entered into the daring spirit of the adventure . It sent a thrill of excitement through him , in which poor Snip was for the time forgotten ; and when about midnight Black Thompson and Davies said ` Good-night ' to him at his cottage door , calling him a brave fellow , and giving him a fine young leveret , with the promise that he should have his share of whatever money they received for their spoil , he entered his dark home , where every one was slumbering peacefully , and , without a thought of sorrow or repentance , was quickly asleep himself . Martha 's exclamation of surprise and delight at seeing the leveret was the first sound that Stephen heard in the morning ; but he preserved a sullen silence as to his absence the previous night , and Martha was too shrewd to press him with questions . They had not been unused to such fare during their father 's lifetime ; and it was settled between them that she should come down from the bilberry-plain early in the afternoon to make a feast of the leveret by the time of Stephen 's return from the pit . All day long Stephen found himself treated with marked distinction and favour by Black Thompson and his comrades , to some of whom he heard him say , in a loud whisper , that ` Stephen ` ud show himself a chip of the old block yet . '