midnight
Very rapidly , as the normal temperature of that warm land reasserted itself , this snow or rather hail melted , causing a flood of water which , where there was any fall , began to rush away with a gurgling sound . Also we heard other sounds , such as that from the galloping hoofs of many of the horses which had broken loose from their wrecked stables at the north end of the market-place , where in great number they had been killed by the falling roofs or had kicked each other to death , and a wild universal wail that rose from every quarter of the big town , in which quantities of the worst-built houses had collapsed . Further , lying here and there about the market-place we could see scores of dark shapes that we knew to be those of men , women and children , whom those sharp missiles hurled from heaven had caught before they could escape and slain or wounded almost to death . For it will be remembered that perhaps not fewer than two thousand people were gathered on this market-place , attending the horrid midnight sacrifice and discussing the unnatural weather when the storm burst upon them suddenly as an avalanche . `` The Child is small , yet its strength is great . Behold the first curse ! '' said Marût solemnly .