midnight
He was treated with increased kindness and consideration by the family and by the servants . When he had eaten his breakfast , the thought occurred to him that something which might betray him had been left on the Greyhound , and he hastened down to the pier to remove any such evidence . As he passed the boat house he heard the voices of Mr. Presby and Ben in the building . The former had by no means slept off his enthusiasm in the cause of science ; and as soon as the dew was off the grass , he commenced exploring the premises , in search of any appearances that might throw new light upon the conduct of the `` poor boy '' during his midnight ramble . He recalled the dirty and foul condition of the patient when discovered in his room , and he examined all the vile and filthy places in the neighborhood , for the marks of some terrible struggle that might have taken place between the sleep-walker , and any real or imaginary demon . The patient seeker after the hidden truths of science had been to the pigsty , to learn whether he had been wrestling with the pigs ; he had looked into the cow yard , the horse stables , and the dog kennels for information upon the dark subject ; he had patiently explored the cornfield and the potato patch , and every dirty hole he could find ; but not a single fact or hint could he obtain to assist him in solving the difficult problem . In the course of his investigations he had reached the department of Ben , the boatman .