midnight
At night they went on till late , as before ; but the camel-men said that the animals must have a longer rest . Luckily it did not matter now if they were caught . If Manöel and Ourïeda had escaped they had had a long start . A little after midnight the vast silence of the sand-ocean was broken with cries and shoutings of men . The Arabs , not knowing of the expected raid , stumbled up from their beds of bagging and ran to protect the camels ; but Max , who had not undressed , walked out from the little camp to meet a cavalcade of men . Ben Râana himself rode in advance , mounted on a swift-running camel . In the blue gloom where the stars were night lights Max recognized the long black beard of the Agha flowing over his white cloak .