nearly midnight
`` Let me do that , daddy , Mr. Norcross is badly used up . You see , we started down here late yesterday afternoon . It was raining and horribly muddy , and I took the wrong trail . The darkness caught us and we did n't reach the station till nearly midnight . '' Wayland acknowledged his weakness . `` I guess I made a mistake , Supervisor ; I 'm not fitted for this strenuous life . '' McFarlane was quick to understand .