midnight
There 's a good plenty of 'em to wallop us , ez I 'll allow , if it come to fighting 'em fair and square . But there 'll be some dark night ' r other whenst we can slip up on 'em and raise a scalp ' r two and lift what plunder we can tote ; hey , Chief ? '' But now Richard would inquire what time in the night the powder convoy left Appleby Hundred , and if Gilbert Stair 's York District guests had traveled with it . To these askings Yeates made answer that Falconnet and his troop , with the Cherokee contingent , had taken the road at midnight , or thereabouts ; and that the Witherbys , with Mistress Margery riding her own black mare , and her maid on a pillion behind a negro groom , had passed some two hours later . This was as we had hoped it might be ; but when Dick 's satisfaction would have set itself in words , the old hunter made a sudden sign for silence and quickly flung himself full length to lay his ear to the ground . Whereat we all began likewise to listen , but I , for one , heard nothing till Yeates said : `` A hoss ; a-taking the back track like old Jehu the son of Nimshi was a-giving him the whip and spur , '' and then we all marked the distant drumming of hoofbeats . The old borderer sprang afoot , kicked the fire into the stream , and caught up his rifle .