midnight
He had a high sense of romance , and a secret cultus for all soldiers and criminals . His travelling library consisted of a chap-book life of Wallace and some sixpenny parts of the ` Old Bailey Sessions Papers ' by Gurney the shorthand writer ; and the choice depicts his character to a hair . You can imagine how his new prospects brightened on a boy of this disposition . To be the servant and companion of a fugitive , a soldier , and a murderer , rolled in one -- to live by stratagems , disguises , and false names , in an atmosphere of midnight and mystery so thick that you could cut it with a knife -- was really , I believe , more dear to him than his meals , though he was a great trencherman , and something of a glutton besides . For myself , as the peg by which all this romantic business hung , I was simply idolised from that moment ; and he would rather have sacrificed his hand than surrendered the privilege of serving me . We arranged the terms of our campaign , trudging amicably in the snow , which now , with the approach of morning , began to fall to purpose . I chose the name of Ramornie , I imagine from its likeness to Romaine ; Rowley , from an irresistible conversion of ideas , I dubbed Gammon .