about ten o'clock
Not tonight , though . It 's late now and you all need sleep . I 'll take the first watch . '' At about ten o'clock of the evening following , Jeremy , Bob and Tom stole out and up the hill in the darkness . They were well-armed but carried no lantern , the boys being confident of their ability to find the cleft in the ledge without a light . A half hour 's walking brought them near the spot , and Jeremy , who had almost an Indian 's memory for the `` lay of the ground , '' soon led the way to the edge of the chasm . Dim starlight shone through the gap in the trees above the ledge , but there was only darkness below in the pit .