midnight
There also was an open space , and the dim starlight enabled him to discover that between his station and the nearest tree something similar to a rock or ledge protruded . He peered and listened , then turned around on his knees and flattening his body on the ground began to creep toward the tree . As soon as he reached its foot he rose to full height , leaned against the trunk , and glanced at the stars . They indicated that it was past midnight , and Tyope felt uneasy . In case he should be delayed , and reach the Rito after daylight , it might excite suspicions . Yet his only safety lay in making a wide circuit . The dismal yelping of a prairie wolf struck his ear , and to his alarm there was at once a reply near where the interview had taken place , but slightly to the east and more toward the deep gorge in which the Rio Grande flows .