midnight
Granny whirled and whirled her stick , and nodded convulsively , and gasped out eager questions about the trial and the `` jedge . '' The little boys jumped for joy until they seemed strung on wire . Soon they were popping corn and roasting apples once more . The flames roared up the chimney , and the shadows danced on the wall , and as the hours wore on , they were all so happy that when midnight came , it caught them still grouped around the fire . It was night on Elm Ridge . So black , so black that the great crags and chasms were hidden , the forest was lost in the encompassing gloom , the valley and the distant ranges were gone , -- all the world had disappeared . There was no wind , and the dark clouds above the dark earth hung low and motionless .