midnight
As to the firemen ! do n't talk to me of the bygone bravery of the crusaders and the lords of feudal times , who spent their lives in the sport of encamping outside of fortresses , at whose walls they occasionally butted with rams , lances , and strong language , leaving their wives and children in badly drained and draughty castles . If any one wishes to see brave men and true , simply come to a fire with Evan and me in our New York . We might have stood there on our garbage pedestals half the night if Horace Bradford had not remembered that he must catch the midnight express , glanced at his watch , found that it was already nearly half-past ten , and realized that he had left his grip at Miss Lavinia 's . Consequently we dismounted and pushed our way home . As we were half groping our way up ill-lighted West Tenth Street Martin Cortright paused suddenly and , after looking about , remarked : `` This is certainly a most interesting locality . That building opposite , which has long been a brewery , was once , in part at least , the first city or State 's Prison .