midnight
Only the greatest effort at self-control kept him from ruining everything by premature action ; his exultation was getting the better of him . Coolness and patience were greater assets now than strength and daring . The boat turned in mid-stream and shot swiftly up the river , past the black fortress with its scattered sentry lights , where slept a garrison in sweet ignorance of the tragedy that was to come upon them when the sun was high . The lights of the city itself soon peeped down into the rain-swept waters ; music from the distant cafés came faintly to the ears of the midnight voyagers . A safe haven at their very elbows , and yet unattainable . The occasional creak of an oar , a whispered oath of dismay , the heavy breathing of toilers , the soft blowing of the mist-that was all ; no other sound on the broad , still river . It was , indeed , a night fit for the undertaking at hand .