midnight
Then they turned to their flight again up the wild face of the savage mountain . The moon came up at last to lighten the way for them , but it was a rough and dangerous climb at best . In many places they were forced to walk hand in hand for considerable distances , and twice the mucker had lifted the girl bodily in his arms to bear her across particularly dangerous or difficult stretches . Shortly after midnight they struck a small mountain stream up which they followed until in a natural cul-de-sac they came upon its source and found their farther progress barred by precipitous cliffs which rose above them , sheer and unscalable . They had entered the little amphitheater through a narrow , rocky pass in the bottom of which the tiny stream flowed , and now , weak and tired , the mucker was forced to admit that he could go no farther . `` Who 'd o ' t ` ought dat I was such a sissy ? '' he exclaimed disgustedly .