midnight
He could not fail ; he would not fail . To avenge Rol and Trella was motive enough for him to do what man could do ; but for Sweyn more . She had kissed Sweyn , but he should not die too : with Sweyn to save he could not fail . Never before was such a race as this ; no , not when in old Greece man and maid raced together with two fates at stake ; for the hard running was sustained unabated , while star after star rose and went wheeling up towards midnight , for one hour , for two hours . Then Christian saw and heard what shot him through with fear . Where a fringe of trees hung round a slope he saw something dark moving , and heard a yelp , followed by a full horrid cry , and the dark spread out upon the snow , a pack of wolves in pursuit . Of the beasts alone he had little cause for fear ; at the pace he held he could distance them , four-footed though they were .