one o'clock in the
morning
And steadily the excavation widened and deepened hour by hour , the slope of the sides becoming apparent , the banks rising higher and the ditch assuming its desired shape and size . At eleven o'clock the cooks wheeled immense canisters of sliced beef and bread among the workmen , who seized the food and ate it as they worked . At midnight the plows were cutting near the bottom , and the work was going faster , as the frost did not strike this deep into the soil . At one o'clock in the morning , amid thickening snow , the last scraperfuls of dirt were going out , while the engineers , with their long rules , were checking depths and slopes . `` By golly , she 's about done ! '' exclaimed Dave , who had been permitted to remain up on this eventful night and who had been moving about , here , there , and everywhere , in a great state of excitement . `` By golly , she is , Lee ! ''