ten minutes past midnight
Just at that moment he hardly knew what he was waiting for . He had been very busy all the afternoon , laying plans and conferring with a man who came from the police bureau , and who appeared to be working under instructions from the boy . Ned considered his plans as near perfect as any human plans can be , still he did not know exactly what would happen at a quarter past twelve . At ten minutes past midnight the boy heard a rush of footsteps in the corridor . They passed his door and the boring ceased . Then they faded away in the distance and the gnawing was resumed . There was a little more noise in the hotel than before .