midnight
`` But it 's just aw-aw-aw-awful ! '' chattered the terrified Hen . Truth to tell , none of the boys were feeling at his best , just then . Dick 's glance passed the face of the clock , showing the hour to be just midnight . Had it been possible to travel through the forest , the Grammar School boys would have felt sure that it was Fred Ripley 's crew . Then they would have gone forth to see what was up . But feeling sure that they were the only living beings in this part of the forest , it was impossible to account for the awful sounds that came from without .