midnight
This protest was treated with uproarious contempt , and gallons of ale soon made their appearance in college jugs and tankards . The tables were cleared , and songs -LRB- most of them of more than doubtful character -RRB- , cigars , and all sorts of compounded drinks , from claret cup to egg flip , succeeded . The company , recruited constantly as men came into the college , was getting more and more excited every minute . The scouts cleared away and carried off the relics of the supper , and then left ; still the revel went on , till , by midnight , the men were ripe for any mischief or folly which those among them who retained any brains at all could suggest . The signal for breaking up was given by the host 's falling from his seat . Some of the men rose with a shout to put him to bed , which they accomplished with difficulty , after dropping him several times , and left him to snore off the effects of his debauch with one of his boots on . Others took to doing what mischief occurred to them in his rooms .