midnight
Hour by hour the men rode on in silence , at times galloping down the slopes , at others crawling slowly and painfully up hills that stretched apparently to heaven , hills that yet dropped suddenly into space when one had almost given up all hope of ever reaching the summit . They had lost all sight of the pursuers , though once Bradby caught a glimpse of smoke far away to the east , smoke that he fancied came from the mid-day fire of the troopers . They halted at sunset in the shadow of a clump of red gums and made the first meal since morning . As a result of a hurried consultation they decided to press on until midnight . But the horses were wearied with the rough and constant travelling , and it took the better part of two hours for them to cover a little under three miles . `` They 've got to have a rest and so have we , '' Bradby said finally . `` The pace is killing , and I 'm quite satisfied that the police are taking it fairly easy .