midnight
The man on watch had fallen asleep . His name was Smiley . It is mentioned here for the only time in this narrative . Shortly before midnight , his companion was awakened by the smell of smoke . He scrambled out of his blankets on the floor , -- and cursed the man who still slept in his chair beside the smoke-befogged lantern on the end of a carpenter 's bench . Flames were creeping along the wooden partition separating the forge from the shop . Half a mile away three hundred men were sleeping , -- but half a mile is half a mile .