midnight
They felt all the joy of escape . Ned knew that neither of them , if taken , could expect much mercy from the brutal Cos. . They came after a while to a gorge , through which a torrent rushed , cutting off their way . It was midnight now . They saw that the stream was very muddy and that it bore on its current much débris . `` We 'll just sit down here and rest , '' said Obed . `` This is nothing more than a brook raised to a river by the storm , and , in another hour or two , it will be a brook again .