midnight
When Bob saw him he wished most heartily that the roof would open and let him down out of sight . `` Why , boys , what is the meaning of this ? '' asked the General , as soon as he came within speaking distance . `` It means that we have been up here since midnight and are nearly frozen , '' replied Bob , trying to smile and looking as innocent as a guilty boy could . `` We were out ` coon-hunting in the river bottoms and came through your fields , because that was the nearest way home ; but the dogs saw us and drove us up here . '' The General had but to use his eyes to find all the evidence he needed to prove this story false . The meal bags , in which the boys expected to carry away the stolen quails , were lying on the ground in plain sight , one of them having fallen in such a position that the owner 's name , which was painted on it in large black letters , was plainly visible .