about three o'clock in
the morning
Colden became quite uneasy for them after they had been gone some hours , and Robert , although he refused to show it , felt a trace of apprehension . He knew their great skill in the forest , but Tandakora was a master of woodcraft too , and the Frenchmen also were experienced and alert . As he , Colden , Wilton and Carson watched at the palisade he was in fear lest a triumphant shout from the Indian lines would show that the hunter and the Onondaga had been trapped . But the long hours passed without an alarm and about three o'clock in the morning two shadows appeared at the palisade and whispered to them . Robert felt great relief as Willet and Tayoga climbed silently over . `` We 're half frozen , '' said the hunter . `` Take us into the blockhouse and over the fire we 'll tell you all we 've seen . ''