about two o'clock in the
morning
Slowly the airship settled to earth , coming to rest in a thick grove of trees , where there was an opening just large enough to allow the Black Hawk to enter . Our friends were soon busy repairing the leaks in the bag , while Mr. Damon got a meal ready . As they ate they talked over plans for the night attack . It was decided to wait until it was about two o'clock in the morning , as at that hour the dwarfs were most generally asleep , Tomba said . They always stayed up quite late , sitting around camp-fires , and eating the meat which the hunters brought in each day . But their carousings generally ended at midnight , the black said , and then they fell into a heavy sleep . They did not post guards , but since they knew of the presence of the white men in the airship , they might do it this time .