midnight
Even at the University , coon songs and Irish songs and love songs had been his portion ; wherefore his repertoire seemed endless , and if folks insisted upon it he could sing from dark to dawn , providing his voice held out . Hen sat with his big-jointed hands hanging loosely over his knees and listened , stared at Bud and grinned vacuously when one song was done , gulped his Adam 's apple and listened again as raptly to the next one . The others forgot all about having fun watching Hen , and named old favorites and new ones , heard them sung inimitably and called for more . At midnight Bud blew on his blistered fingertips and shook the guitar gently , bottom-side up . `` I guess that 's all the music there is in the darned thing to-night , '' he lamented . `` She 's made to keep time , and she always strikes , along about midnight . '' `` Huh-huh ! ''