midnight
He had been smaller in stature than himself , as had been the creature at the Shallows , but he had had the same peculiarities of clothing and was very much alike . Yet he strove to drive down all his doubts and to believe the thing which he desired -- that the phenomenon was the result of imagination , and that Spurling was not dead . He made small progress in his travelling , for his body was worn out by previous hardships . Sometimes he took over two hours to go three miles ; it was long past midnight when Dead Rat Portage came in sight . At this point the river made a large curve to the southward and broadened out into rapids ; the portage was eight hundred yards in length and saved voyageurs six miles , crossing the neck of land by a narrow trail and picking up the Last Chance River on the other side . In summer time the York boats were unloaded here , and dragged across on rollers , the freight being carried on men 's backs . As he drew near , his hope sank ; the place looked so gloomy and forbidding .