midnight
with such whirlwind speed along . But that Wehr-Wolf bears a charmed life ; for though the hounds overtake him -- fall upon him -- and attack him with all the courage of their nature , yet does he hurl them from him , toss them aside , spurn them away , and at length free himself from their pursuit altogether ! And now the moon rises with unclouded splendor , like a maiden looking from her lattice screened with purple curtains ; and still the monster hurries madly on with unrelaxing speed . For hours has he pursued his way thus madly ; and , on a sudden , as he passes the outskirts of a sleeping town , the church-bell is struck by the watcher 's hand to proclaim midnight . Over the town , over the neighboring fields -- through the far-off forest , clanged that iron tongue : and the Wehr-Wolf sped all the faster , as if he were running a race with that Time whose voice had just spoken . On , on went the Wehr-Wolf ; but now his course began to deviate from the right line which he had hitherto pursued , and to assume a curved direction . From a field a poor man was turning an ox into the main road , that he might drive the animal to his master 's residence by daylight ; the wolf swept by , and snapped furiously at the ox as he passed : and the beast , affrighted by the sudden appearance , gushing sound , and abrupt though evanescent attack of the infuriate monster , turned on the herdsman and gored him to death .