midnight
The officer smiled as he declared : `` That suits me exactly . We may not catch them , but -- they 'll know they 've been in a race before they thumb their noses at us from across the Boundary . Now see how fast you can harness up . '' It was considerably after midnight when ` Poleon swung his dog-team into the lighted space in front of the Rialto ; nevertheless , many people were about , for Dawson was a city of sleep-haters . The sight of a racing-team equipped for a flying trip at this hour of the night evoked instant interest and speculation , pointing , as it did , to a new gold discovery and a stampede . Stampedes were frequent , they never failed to create a sensation , therefore the woodsman was soon the center of an inquisitive crowd . Not until he had fully explained the nature of his business was suspicion allayed ; then his word that Joe and Frank McCaskey had fled for the Boundary ran up and down the street and caused even greater excitement .