midnight
For the latter reason , Joe Shafto kept to such ground as was covered with a mat of pine needles . These , being springy , gave way under the hoofs of the horses , leaving no hoof-prints , no trail . Of the Overland Riders only two persons observed this -- Tom and Grace , for , in her brief trips with him into the woods where he , as a forester , spent much time , Grace had learned a great deal about forestry work . No halt was made until midnight , when the forest woman reined in and directed a ray of light against a huge pine tree . `` A fresh blaze , '' said Tom , as he trotted up to her to see what the blaze indicated . `` A blaze with a bent arrow cut in it , the arrow smeared with dirt to make it stand out . Clever , but what does it mean , Mrs. Shafto ? ''