midnight
He noticed it in Colonel Winchester 's tone , and he noticed it , too , in the voices of Colonel Newcomb and Major Hertford , who came presently to confer with Winchester . But the boy fell into his doze again , while they were talking . Warner and Pennington , who had done less arduous duties , were sound asleep near him , the low flames now and then throwing a red light on their tanned faces . It seemed to him that it was about half way between midnight and morning , and the hum and murmur had sunk to a mere minor note . But his sleepy eyes still saw the dim forms of men passing about , and then he fell into his uneasy doze again . When he awoke once more it was misty and dark , but he felt that the dawn was near . In the east a faint tint of silver showed through the clouds and vapors .