midnight
I 'll be back in a day or two . '' Joel Wells was rapidly taking his degrees in the range school . At dusk he overtook the cattle train , which reached the market yards on schedule time . The shipper 's duty ceased with the unloading of the cattle , which was easily completed before midnight , when he and his employer separated . The market would not open until a late morning hour , affording ample time to rest and refresh the beeves , and to look up acquaintances in the office . Joel had almost learned to dispense with sleep . With the first stir of the morning , he was up and about .