midnight
`` All right , massa , '' said Sam , grinning with delight . `` I 'll have you over there in short order . '' The carriage harnessed , Samuel found no difficulty with his horses , and reached the depot almost a half hour before the time . Louis arrived in the city after midnight , and the next day he devoted to hunting for Ellen . He searched through different slave pens , inquired of all the traders , until at last , ready to abandon his search in hopelessness , he heard of a private jail in the suburbs of the city . Nothing daunted by his failure , he found the place and Ellen also . The trader eyed him keenly , and saw from his manner that he was in earnest about having the girl .