midnight
The old woman shot him a keen glance as she hovered over the tiny flame that licked at the twigs of dry larchwood . `` All men die , '' she muttered dully . `` Did not Lacombie die ? '' `` At midnight I passed through the deserted camp of Moncrossen , '' the man continued , paying no heed to her remark . `` Creed did not go out with the drive , but stayed behind to guard the camp , and he told me of the death of this man ; how he himself saw him sink beneath the waters of the river and saw the logs of the jam rush over him . `` As we talked , and because he had been drinking much whisky , he told me that it was he who locked this man in the shack last winter and then set fire to the shack . He told me also Moncrossen desired this man 's death above any other thing , and had ordered the breaking of the jam at a moment when he knew the _ chechako _ could not escape , so that he was hurled into the water and killed . ''