midnight
When kept all night , bottom upward , it drips and becomes dryer and lighter . In the morning , at the commencement of the day 's journey , it sits higher upon the water than in the afternoon and evening , and is at that time more easily paddled along . Our voyageurs , having got on shore , first kindled a fire to cook their supper . This they intended to despatch earlier than usual , so as to give them the early part of the night for their swan-hunt , which they expected to finish before midnight . Lucien did the cooking , while Norman , assisted by Basil and Francois , made his preparations for the hunt . Francois , who was more interested in the result than any of them , watched every movement of his cousin . Nothing escaped him .