midnight
`` Let the men feed , then , and be ready for the signal to start , '' said the chief to his officers , `` and see that no louder noise be heard than the crunching of their jaws . '' The night was favourable to their enterprise . The moon was indeed risen , but clouds entirely hid it , yet allowed a soft light to pass through which rendered objects close at hand quite visible . Before midnight they started on the march in profound silence , and , led by Beniah , made a wide _ detour _ which brought them to the encampment of Gadarn . As may easily be understood , that chief was well pleased at the turn events had taken , for , to say truth , his little joke of trotting Beniah about the land and keeping him in perplexity , had begun to pall , and he had for some days past been hunting about for a plausible excuse for abandoning the search and going to visit King Hudibras . His difficulty in this matter was increased by his unwillingness to reveal the true state of matters to Bladud , yet he knew that unless he did so the prince would utterly refuse to abandon the search for Cormac . Another thing that perplexed the chief greatly was -- how the Hebrew , knowing Branwen as he did , had failed to recognise her in the lad Cormac , for of course he knew nothing of the promise that held the Hebrew 's lips tied ; his daughter -- who was as fond of a joke as himself -- having taken care not to reveal _ all _ the complications that had arisen in regard to herself .