midnight
At sight of these the old hunter doffed his cap and fell upon his knees with hands uplifted to pour out his zealot 's soul in the awful sentences of the Psalmist 's imprecation . '' ` Let God arise , and let His inimies be scattered ; let them also that hate Him flee before Him . Like as the smoke vanisheth , so shalt thou drive them away ; and like as the wax melteth at the fire , so let the ungodly perish at the presence of God ... ' '' It could have been but little short of midnight when we came down into the Great Trace near the ambush ground where we had set our trap for the peace men . The night had cleared most beautifully , and overhead the stars were burning like points of white fire in the black dome of the heavens . As often happens after a shower , the night shrillings of the forest were in fullest tide ; and a whip-will 's - widow , disturbed by our approach , fluttered to a higher perch and set up his plaintive protest . At our turning eastward on the trace , the old hunter massed our little company as compactly as the path allowed , and giving us the word to follow cautiously , tossed his bridle rein to the Catawba and went on ahead to feel out the way .