midnight
`` Umph ! dashing , no doubt , but risky , '' said Peterkin -- `` extremely risky . Yet it 's worth trying . Well , my second difficulty is -- what if they do n't stick to their promise after we quit , and kill the poor thing before midnight ? '' `` We must take our chance of that . But I shall put the king on his honour before leaving , and say that I will make particular inquiry into the way in which the trial has been conducted on my return . '' `` Put the king on his honour ! ''