midnight
Macy had released the hands of his prisoner so that he might have a chance to fight the singing pests , but he kept a wary eye upon him and never let him move more than a few feet from him . The trail grew steeper as it neared the head of the cañon till at last it climbed the left wall and emerged from the gulch to an uneven mesa . The leader of the party looked at his watch . `` Past midnight . We 'll camp here , George , and see if we ca n't get rid of the ` skeeters . '' They built smudge fires of green wood and on the lee side of these another one of dry sticks . Dud made coffee upon this and cooked bacon to eat with the fresh bread they had taken from the oven of Holt .