about two o'clock
in the morning
She thinks she will creep into one of the empty old houses by the water ; but no , she reflects , if I hide there , Ringe will bark and betray me the moment Louis comes to look for me . And Ringe saved her life , for next day Louis 's bloody tracks were found all about those old buildings where he had sought her . She flies , with Karen 's awful cries in her ears , away over rocks and snow to the farthest limit she can gain . The moon has set ; it is about two o'clock in the morning , and oh , so cold ! She shivers and shudders from head to feet , but her agony of terror is so great she is hardly conscious of bodily sensation . And welcome is the freezing snow , the jagged ice and iron rocks that tear her unprotected feet , the bitter brine that beats against the shore , the winter winds that make her shrink and tremble ; `` they are not so unkind as man 's ingratitude ! '' Falling often , rising , struggling on with feverish haste , she makes her way to the very edge of the water ; down almost into the sea she creeps , between two rocks , upon her hands and knees , and crouches , face downward , with Ringe nestled close beneath her breast , not daring to move through the long hours that must pass before the sun will rise again .