midnight
The effect on the ark was such as to supersede the necessity of rowing ; and in about two hours the castle was seen , in the darkness , rising out of the water , at the distance of a hundred yards . The sail was then lowered , and by slow degrees the scow drifted up to the building , and was secured . No one had visited the house since Hurry and his companion left it . The place was found in the quiet of midnight , a sort of type of the solitude of a wilderness . As an enemy was known to be near , Hutter directed his daughters to abstain from the use of lights , luxuries in which they seldom indulged during the warm months , lest they might prove beacons to direct their foes where they might be found . `` In open daylight I should n't fear a host of savages behind these stout logs , and they without any cover to skulk into , '' added Hutter , when he had explained to his guests the reasons why he forbade the use of light ; `` for I 've three or four trusty weapons always loaded , and Killdeer , in particular , is a piece that never misses . But it 's a different thing at night .