midnight
Only for my dream I would surely have shovelled the sand thoughtlessly outside where someone might have made the discovery to my own loss . Not long afterward a strange incident occurred . It happened in the following way . It was raining and past midnight , being one of the last rainstorms before the regular freeze-up it was proving to us there was no shortage of water in the clouds which seemed wide open , and it was pouring in torrents . For four hours I had been using the pick and shovel in the frozen gravel under the adjoining cabin , and had finally gone to sleep , lulled by the patter of the regularly falling rain upon the roof . Suddenly I was aroused with a fear of -- I knew not what . I instantly sprang from my bed , striking a match , and getting into my clothing as rapidly as possible , I made my way through the storm into the next cabin .