midnight
The day of the race dawned bright and fair , without a cloud to mar its splendor . As the golden morning wore on , a gradual excitement became apparent among the cowboys , increasing as the hours passed , and as they prepared with joy to invade their rival 's territory ; nevertheless , the vigilant watch upon their champion did not relax . Theirs was an attitude of confidence tinged with caution . It was some time after midnight that Lawrence Glass had been the cause of a wild alarm that brought the denizens of the ranch out in night apparel . Jack Chapin , awakened by a cry for help , had found him in the hands of Carara and Cloudy , who had been doing night duty in accordance with Stover 's orders . What with the trainer 's loud complaints , the excited words of his captors , and the confusion resulting when the bunk-house emptied itself of men half clad , it had taken the ranch-owner some time to discover that Glass had been surprised in the act of escaping . It seemed that the sentries , seeing a figure skulking past the white adobe walls of the house , had called upon it to halt .