midnight
But one man was there with a providential scrap of newspaper . There was a moon in the frosty sky , with tatters of windy cloud about it , which gave light enough to show the men each others ' faces dimly , and they all clustered in a rough ring , some kneeling , some standing , and the centre of the throng was the man with the match . Near him , second only in importance , was the man with the newspaper , and kneeling near was a third who stirred up the loose brushwood below the heaped fuel which had been gathered and hoarded for a month past for a Christmas fire . ` Here 's a dry pebble , ' said one man , pressing solicitously forward , and proffering his midnight find to the man with the match . ` Strike her on that , and for God 's sake hold your breath , boys . ' The human centre of interest , the man with the match , took the pebble and polished it to complete dryness on the lining of his overcoat . Then he struck the match , which emitted a faint phosphorescent glow , and went dark again .