About midnight
The young Onondaga devoted most of his time to watching . Much wreckage from storms or the suction of flood water often floated on the surface of these wild rivers , and his keen eyes searched for trunk or bough or snag . They also scanned at intervals the green walls speeding by on either side , lest they might pass some camp fire and not notice it , but finding no lighter note in the darkness he felt sure that no hostile bands were near . About midnight the force of the current began to abate and Robert and Willet used the paddles . The darkness also thinned . The rainless clouds drifted away and disclosed a full moon , which turned the dusk of the water to silver . The stars came out in cluster after cluster and the skies became a shining blue .