midnight
Barlow commanded , returning to his room , and , sitting down wearily upon the bed , held up a leg . The bearer knelt and in silence stripped the _ putties _ from his master 's limbs , unlaced the shoes , and pulled off the breeches . When Barlow had slipped on the pyjamas handed him , he said : `` Tell the _ chowkidar _ to come to me at his waking from the first call of the crows . '' An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn ; to hear it before midnight does not matter , for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body . But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him , for when the _ chowkidar _ stood outside the door calling softly , `` Captain Sahib ! Captain Sahib ! '' Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed , his tiredness having held him as one dead .