about midnight
He thrust out both hands in front of him , and made the knuckles of every finger crack like castanets . In another second he was gone again . But we knew we were now forgiven all our sins of omission . Somewhere about midnight , with a nearly full moon rising in a golden dream above the rim of the ravine , we started . And no wheeled vehicle could have followed by the track we took . It was no mean task for men on foot , and our burdened animals had to be given time . Whether or not Kagig slept , as he had said he would , on horse-back , he kept himself and our prisoners out of sight somewhere in the van ; and this time the rear was brought up by a squadron of ragged irregular horse that would have made any old campaigner choke with joy to look at them .