midnight
`` It 's well enough that some rebel should give us a bonfire now and then . Only stand out of the glare , boys , or you may have some of those devils yonder making targets of you . '' The men fell back into the shadow , and standing in little groups , or seated upon the sward , watched the burning house , well pleased to have some spectacle to relieve the monotony of the night . And they looked with indolent gratification , passing the light jest and the merry word , while the red flames kept up their wild sport , and great masses of rolling vapor upheaved from the crackling roof , and blackened the midnight sky . None sought to read the mystery of that conflagration . It was but an old barn gone to ashes a little before its time . Perhaps some mischievous hand among them had applied the torch for a bit of deviltry .