it was late after midnight , in moon light blues the red bricked structure of the tower and its surroundings were dipped , the air around was heavy and was suffused with the eerie humming of the crickets , to whose haunting buzz danced innumerous tiny little motes in wave like patterns , and coalescing with it all were the dull grating sounds emanating from the movement of the black hands of the turret clock over its white dials .