midnight
It was moving at the same monotonous pace as when it had passed the hiding place of the boys . Will Phelps , when he came within a hundred yards of the wagon he was following , decreased his own speed and endeavored to keep close to the fences by the roadside , so that he would not be seen by the driver if he should chance to look behind him . They were soon within sight of Winthrop , and the shadowy towers of the college buildings could be discerned in the distance . It was long past midnight , and the only lights that could be seen were those of the twinkling stars and the occasional flash of the moonlight when the broken clouds that were moving across the face of the sky parted sufficiently for the face of the moon to be seen . Suddenly Will was aware that the wagon had stopped at a corner where a road or street that led to the lower part of the village joined the road that led past the college buildings . He darted behind a huge tree that grew close to the roadside , and eagerly peered forth to discover what the next move of the farmer would be . He could see that some one approached the wagon , and after a brief delay climbed up on the seat beside the driver and then the team started on once more .