midnight
Both men jumped nervously when the shrill siren of a police motorcycle sounded in the distance . Bart thought grimly of his fracas with the officer who had tried to arrest Van . How long ago that seemed , and how inconsequential an incident ! Their windows faced north , and by midnight they could make out the red glow of the moon weed , that awful band of flickering crimson that painted the horizon the color of blood . The telephone clamored for attention and Bill stifled a hysterical sob as the terrifying sound broke the eery stillness . Van was on the way to get them ! He had a Government car and they were to go to Arlington for Bill 's plane .