midnight
remarked Harley . There was marked relief the moment the wheels of the carriage struck the brown grass . They rolled easily once more , and the off horse , lifting up his head , neighed cheerfully . `` It means midnight , and not later , Harley , '' said the candidate , in a reassuring tone . Harley leaned back in his seat , and trusted all now to the wise and considerate driver who had proposed such a plan . The night was just as black as a hat , and the wind and rain moaned over the bleak and lonesome plains . They were far out in Nebraska , and , although they were near the Platte River , it was one of the most thinly inhabited sections of the state .