three o'clock in the morning
Te-bari was keenly disappointed . He would only have half of his revenge . He crept up to the sleeper , and made one swift blow with the heavy _ nifa oti _ Then he became very busy for a few minutes , and a few hours later was back in the mountains , smoking Clausen 's tobacco , and drinking some of Clausen 's corn schnapps . When Clausen rode up to his house at three o'clock in the morning , he found the lamp was burning brightly . Nireeungo was lying on the bed , covered over with a quilt of navy blue . He called to her , but she made no answer , and Clausen called her a sleepy little pig . Then he turned to the side table to take a drink of schnapps -- on the edge of it was Nireeungo 's head with its two long plaits of jet-black hair hanging down , and dripping an ensanguined stream upon the matted floor .