midnight
The moon was flooding the clearing with high , pale light , adding greatly to the difficulty of their task . Accordingly , they plotted carefully . Each Trooper took a door -- Hallisey that to the north , Merryfield that to the south , Smith that of the cellar . It was agreed that each should creep to a point opposite the door on which he was to advance , ten minutes being allowed for all to reach their initial positions ; that at exactly five minutes to midnight the advance should be started , slowly , through the tall grass of the clearing toward the cabin ; that in case of any unusual noise or alarm , each man should lie low exactly five minutes before resuming this advance ; and that from a point fifty yards from the cabin a rush should be made upon the doors . According to the request of the District Attorney , Drake was to be taken `` dead or alive , '' but according to an adamantine principle of the Force , he must be taken not only alive , but unscathed if that were humanly possible . This meant that he must not be given an opportunity to run and so render shooting necessary . If , however , he should break away , his chance of escape would be small , as each Trooper was a dead shot with the weapons he was carrying .