midnight
Feeling that nothing was to be done until the storm should abate , Matt climbed into the wagon again and protected himself as well as he could with the rubber blanket and the lap-robe . The back shade of the wagon was down , and he was glad to see that so far the stock inside had sustained no damage . A half-hour dragged along slowly . Several times the storm appeared upon the point of clearing away , but each time the clouds settled down heavier than before , until under the trees it was as black as midnight . Matt wondered how far he was from the road , and if there were a farmhouse anywhere at hand . `` If I could reach a house of some sort it would n't be so bad , '' he murmured to himself . `` But being out here alone is n't any fun , that 's certain . ''