midnight
Without further hesitation he pledged his troth to her ; still he could not bring himself to desert his companions and to compromise the Colonel and his family , which he knew he should do were he and his brother to make their escape from the house . Andrew had been sleeping soundly all this time . He awoke him and told him of the arrangements that had been made to enable them once more to get free from the clutches of their foes . Two spare horses , Alice told them , would be in waiting outside the grounds at midnight , with a guide to conduct them northward . They would be many miles away before their flight would be discovered . By remaining concealed during the following day they might , by riding all night , get beyond the counties where the rebellion had existed . Andrew , according to his custom , considered the matter calmly over .