nearly midnight before
Having obtained all the information I could from the communicative seaman , I hurried on with the satisfactory intelligence to the works , where I found my father leaning on his spade , pretty well tired out by his unusual exertions . The light of the lantern I brought , however , enabled us to proceed , and he recommenced digging with as much energy as before . As we were running backwards and forwards , I could see numerous other lights all along the line , within a few yards of each other , marking the spots where the people were working . It was nearly midnight before our task was concluded . Not one of us had felt hungry or thirsty . My father then insisted on our returning home , and on our way we left Lancelot and Dick at their respective homes . We found Audrey and Margaret sitting up for us , both looking somewhat pale , naturally supposing that if the finishing of the earthworks was so important , immediate danger was to be apprehended .