Half after one
And take my candle . I 'm going to bed . '' That was at midnight or shortly after . Half after one struck from the twin clocks of the Votivkirche and echoed from the Stephansplatz across the city . It found Peter with the window closed , sitting up in bed , a candle balanced on one knee , a writing-tablet on the other . He was writing a spirited narrative of a chamois hunt in which he had taken part that day , including a detailed description of the quarry , which weighed , according to Peter , two hundred and fifty pounds , Peter being strong on imagination and short on facts as regards the Alpine chamois . Then , trying to read the letter from a small boy 's point of view and deciding that it lacked snap , he added by way of postscript a harrowing incident of avalanche , rope , guide , and ice axe .