midnight
His mother could not have recognized his voice had she heard it , for it was the first time that the boy had ever given full cry to the natural voice of youth and his heart . A few stolen races , and sorties up apple-trees , a few stolen slides had poor Ephraim Thayer had ; they had been snatched in odd minutes , at the imminent danger of discovery ; but now he had the wide night before him ; he had broken over all his trammels , and he was free . Up and down the hill went Ephraim Thayer , having the one playtime of his life , speeding on his brother 's famous sled against bondage and deprivation and death . It was after midnight when he went home ; all the village lights were out ; the white road stretched before him , as still and deserted as a road through solitude itself . Ephraim had never been out-of-doors so late before , he had never been so alone in his life , but he was not afraid . He was not afraid of anything in the lonely night , and he was not afraid of his mother at home . He thought to himself exultantly that Ezra Ray had been no more courageous than he , although , to be sure , he had not a whipping to fear like Ezra .