midnight
Ba ` teese shall go . '' And with a final wave of the hand , still keeping his journey a mystery , he went forth into the night . Long Houston waited for his return , but he did not come . The old , creaking clock on the rustic ledge ticked away the minutes and the hours until midnight , but still no crunching of gravel relieved his anxious ears , still no gigantic form of the grizzled , bearded trapper showed in the doorway . One o'clock came and went . Two -- three . Houston still waited .