midnight before
The sun set , and he went on up steep grades and down steeper ones in the twilight . Night fell and the headlights glared ahead , and the staff car clanked and clanked and grumbled and roared on through the darkness . They probably passed through villages -- the headlights showed stone hovels once or twice -- but no lights appeared . It was midnight before they saw a moving yellow spot of brightness with a glare as of fire upon steam above it . There were other small lights in a row behind it , and they saw that all the lights moved . `` A railroad ! '' said Coburn .