about midnight
The other answered with a certain inward deprecation of the grin that spread over his face , and the responsive levity of his phrase , `` There was a change of hands , but the one that kep ' the fire goun ' the hardes ' and the hottes ' was Elder Grove . '' Braile made `` Hoonck ! '' in the scornful guttural which no English spelling can represent . `` Yes , sir , '' the man on the claybank went on , carried forward by his own interest , but helpless to deny himself the guilty pleasure of falling in with Braile 's humor , `` he had 'em goun ' lively , about midnight , now I tell you : whoopun ' and yellun ' , and rippun ' and stavun ' , and fallun ' down with the jerks , and pullun ' and haulun ' at the sinners , to git 'em up to the mourners ' bench , and hurrahun ' over 'em , as fast as they was knocked down and drug out . I never seen the beat of it in all _ my _ born days . '' `` You do n't make out anything very strange , Abel Reverdy , '' Braile said , putting his pipe back into his mouth and beginning to smoke it again into a lost activity . `` Well , I hai n't come to it yit , '' Reverdy apologized .