About midnight
To his judgment , Murphy would not be likely to ride during the night until after he had crossed the Fourche . There was no reason to suspect that there were any hostile Indians south of that stream , and probably therefore the old scout would endeavor to conserve his own strength and that of his horses , for the more perilous travel beyond . Hampton hastened on , his eyes peering anxiously ahead into the steadily increasing gloom . About midnight , the trail becoming obscure , the rider made camp , confident he must have already gained heavily on the man he pursued . He lariated his horses , and flinging himself down on some soft turf , almost immediately dropped asleep . He was up again before daylight , and , after a hasty meal , pressed on . The nature of the country had changed considerably , becoming more broken , the view circumscribed by towering cliffs and deep ravines .