about midnight
We had no idea what the danger zone was -- how close we dared go -- but decided to chance it . To fly sufficiently high for safety directly over the Mercutians appeared difficult , since the light-fire already had proven effective at a distance of several miles at least . We decided not to attempt that , but merely to follow the course of the C. , B. and Q. southwest to Cody , then to circle around to the east , and thence back north to Billings , passing well to the east of the Mercutians . We started , as I have said , about midnight , rising from the rolling prairie back of Billings . We climbed five hundred feet and , with our searchlight playing upon the ground beneath , started directly for Frannie . We passed over Frannie at about eight hundred feet , and continued on the C. , B. and Q. line toward Garland . We had decided to pass to a considerable extent to the west of Garland , to be farther away from the danger , and then to strike down to Cody .