about one in the morning
I am free at last ! '' We rode on , avoiding the village , which remained dark and silent ; the sleeping peasants had either not heard or not heeded the sound and shock of the explosion . When we regained the road on the further side , two mounted men awaited us , who , after exchanging a few low-spoken words with the Pavloffs , fell in behind us ; and later another , and yet another , joined us in the same way . It must have been about one in the morning when we reached the village half-way between Zizcsky and Zostrov , where Mishka and I had got the last change of horses on our journey to the castle . Here again all was dark and quiet , and we rode round instead of through the place , Loris and I , with the Pavloffs , halting at a little distance , near a small farmhouse which I remembered as that of the _ starosta _ , while our four recruits kept on . Mishka rode up and kicked at the outer gate . A light gleamed in the yard and the _ starosta _ , yawning and blinking , appeared , holding a lantern and leading a horse .