midnight
Moving waters , laden with a last waning gleam , glided from beneath these vapoury exhalations , and even trifling rivulets , now invisible save for chance splashes of light , lacked not mystery as they moved from darkness into darkness with a song . Stars twinkled above the dewy sleep of the earth , and there brooded over all things a prodigious peace , broken only by batrachian croakings from afar . These phenomena Will Blanchard observed ; then yellow candle fires twinkled from the dark mass of the farmhouse , and he descended in splendid weariness and strode to supper and to bed . Yet not much sleep awaited the farmer , for soon after midnight a gentle patter of small stones at his window awakened him . Leaping from his bed and looking into the darkness he saw a vague figure that raised its hand and beckoned without words . Fear for the hay was Will 's first emotion , but no indication of trouble appeared . Once he spoke , and as he did so the figure beckoned again , then approached the door .