midnight
In a disused room of one of the outbuildings the most ragged and blood-stained uniforms of the Union soldiers had been cast and forgotten . These were carried to a point near the burying-ground , tried on and concealed . Chunk found it was no easy task to keep even the reckless fellows he had picked up to the sticking point of courage in the grewsome tasks he had in view , but his scoff , together with their mutual aid and comfort , carried them through , while the hope of speedy freedom inspired them to what was felt to be great risks . On this occasion he dismissed them some little time before midnight , for he wished them to get rested and in good condition for what he hoped would be the final effort the following night . As he lingered in the still , starlit darkness he could not resist making an effort to see Zany , and so began hooting like an owl down by the run , gradually approaching nearer till he reached the garden . Zany , wakeful and shivering with nameless dread , was startled by the sound . Listening intently , she soon believed she detected a note that was Chunk 's and not a bird 's .