midnight
He listened gravely , and when I had finished laid a firm hand on my head . `` There , '' he said , `` you are a brave lad , and a canny . '' He thought a minute , his hand still resting on my head , and then rose and led me to the back door of the house . It was near midnight , and the sounds of the place were stilling , the crickets chirping in the grass . `` Run to Captain Bowman and tell him to send ten men to this door . But they must come man by man , to escape detection . Do you understand ? ''