an hour after midnight
But no human being had interfered with their journey , and their hopes rose to the zenith . They came , finally , into an open region of cotton fields , and the sergeant now began to watch closely for the great trail they hoped to find . A force as large as Grierson 's would not attempt a passage through the woods , but would seek some broad road and Sergeant Whitley expected to find it long before morning . It was now an hour after midnight and they reckoned that they had come about the right distance . There was a good moon and plenty of stars and the sergeant gave himself only a half-hour to find the trail . `` There 's bound to be a wide road somewhere among these fields , the kind we call a county road . '' `` It 's over there beyond that rail fence , '' said Dick .