midnight
McTeague , now far into the desert , held steadily on , swinging forward with great strides . His enormous strength held him doggedly to his work . Sullenly , with his huge jaws gripping stolidly together , he pushed on . At midnight he stopped . `` Now , '' he growled , with a certain desperate defiance , as though he expected to be heard , `` now , I 'm going to lay up and get some sleep . You can come or not . '' He cleared away the hot surface alkali , spread out his blanket , and slept until the next day 's heat aroused him .