midnight
One thing , at least , was certain ; he would exact an explanation , and if none should be furnished , he would make public the evidence in his hands . The black , dreary night seemed interminable . He could only guess , here and there , at a landmark , and was forced to rely more upon Roger 's instinct of the road than upon the guidance of his senses . Towards midnight , as he judged , by the solitary crow of a cock , the rain almost entirely ceased . The wind began to blow , sharp and keen , and the hard vault of the sky to lift a little . He fancied that the hills on his right had fallen away , and that the horizon was suddenly depressed towards the north . Roger 's feet began to splash in constantly deepening water , and presently a roar , distinct from that of the wind , filled the air .