midnight
The only thing in the shape of shelter they had set up was the tarpaulin , spread awning fashion over four uprights , which held it at the four corners ; but this was barely sufficient to furnish the two young people with a sleeping-place . After removing the roast fowl from the spit , they had not permitted their fire to die out . On the contrary , Murtagh , in whose charge it was , threw on some fresh faggots . They intended keeping it up through the night , not to scare away wild beasts , for , as already said , they had no fear of these ; but because the atmosphere toward midnight usually became damp and chilly , and they would need the fire to keep them warm . It was quite sunset by the time they had finished eating the roast hornbill , and as there is but little twilight under or near the equator , the darkness came down almost instantaneously . By the light of the blazing faggots they picked the bones of the bird , and picked them clean . But they had scarce dropped the drumsticks and other bones out of their fingers , when one and all fell violently sick .