midnight
As I asked myself the question it came again , startling me with its sudden brilliancy ; and this time it was certainly from some aperture overhead , and a little beyond where we sat . Gone again , and this time utterly ; but not before I caught a glimpse of the broad rocky shelf beyond us . The light had flashed down not a dozen yards from where we stood ; it must have been a lantern ; if so , they were still seeking us , this time on the cliffs . It was only midnight , and there were still four weary hours to wait , and every moment I was growing more chilled and numbed . I began to dread the consequences to myself as well as to the children . If I could only crawl along the shelf and explore , perhaps there might be some opening to the cliff . I had not thought of this before , until the light brought the idea to my mind .