midnight
`` Meanwhile your situation was not forgotten . Every one was charged to explore your footsteps as well as those of the savages ; but this search was no less unsuccessful than the former . None had heard of you or seen you . `` This continued till midnight . Three of us made a pause at a brook , and intended to repair our fatigues by a respite of a few hours ; but scarcely had we stretched ourselves on the ground when we were alarmed by a shot which seemed to have been fired at a short distance . We started on our feet and consulted with each other on the measures to be taken . A second , a third , and a fourth shot , from the same quarter , excited our attention anew .