three hours after midnight
Then his cat-like eyes , becoming more and more accustomed to the darkness within the entrance , saw the round head of Maka close upon the ground . The soul of the listening fiend laughed within him . `` Pretty watchers they are , '' he said to himself . `` Not three hours after midnight , and they are all snoring ! '' Then , as stealthily and as slowly as he had come , he slipped away , and joining the others , they all glided through the darkness down to the beach , and then set off at their best speed back to their rendezvous . After they had discovered that there were people in the cave , they had not thought of entering . They were not fully armed , and they did not know how many persons were inside .