about midnight
One night in the early dusk , he saw Catherine Ford hastening across the prairie with Bill Deems . He sent a halloo out to them , which they both answered as they ran on . Waite knew on what errand of mercy Catherine was bent , and he thought of the children over at the cabin alone . The cattle were quiet , the night beautiful , and he concluded that it was safe enough , since he was on his pony , to ride down there about midnight and see that the little ones were safe . The dark sky , pricked with points of intensest light , hung over him so beneficently that in his heart there leaped a joy which even his ever-present sorrow could not disturb . This sorrow Waite openly admitted not only to himself , but to others . He had said to Catherine : `` You see , I 'll always hev to love yeh .