nearly
midnight
The great horse responded willingly and Dick felt the powerful body working beneath him , smooth and tireless like a perfect machine . He passed nobody on the road . People hugged their fires on such a cold night , and he rode hour after hour without interruption . It was nearly midnight when he stopped on a high hill , free of forest , and looked down upon Pendleton . The wonderful clearness of the winter night helped him . All the stars known to man were out , and helped to illuminate the world with a clear but cold radiance . Although a long distance away Dick could see Pendleton clearly .