midnight
And as they went they shivered , and each man as he shivered cursed the rain aloud . And so they came to the spot where they had hidden a ladder and a lantern . There they held long debate whether they should light the lantern , or whether they should go without it for fear of the King 's men . But in the end it seemed to them better that they should have the light of their lantern , and risk being taken by the King 's men and hanged , than that they should come suddenly face to face in the darkness with whatever one might come face to face with a little after midnight about the Gallows Tree . On three roads in England whereon it was not the wont of folk to go their ways in safety , travellers tonight went unmolested . But the three friends , walking several paces wide of the King 's highway , approached the Gallows Tree , and Will carried the lantern and Joe the ladder , but Puglioni carried a great sword wherewith to do the work which must be done . When they came close , they saw how bad was the case with Tom , for little remained of that fine figure of a man and nothing at all of his great resolute spirit , only as they came they thought they heard a whimpering cry like the sound of a thing that was caged and unfree .