Midnight
As for the sergeant , he had not slept for three days , and was too utterly tired out to be of any assistance . He had done what he could , and had now to await developments . The fire was good , and he had dropped , at the rancher 's request , into a comfortable high-backed chair in a corner , where he fell asleep . Midnight , and the rancher had left the house to assist Rory and Jacques with the sleighs , which had to be packed with certain necessaries such as tea , coffee , sugar , bread and flour , frozen meat , pemmican , culinary articles , snow-shoes , and ammunition . Dorothy , having made all the preparations she could , had re-entered the kitchen . The first thing that drew her attention was the sleeping figure of the sergeant in the chair . She was filled with self-reproach .