midnight
The horse was , however , unusually restive , and would at times break into a gallop in spite of him where the trail was level , but Alton , who fancied there was something troubling the beast , was more than a little dubious of his ability to mount again if he got out of the saddle . Until that day he had not ventured outside the ranch . The shadowy pines flitted by him , here and there the moon shone down , and the drumming of hoofs rang muffled by the snow through a great silence which was curiously emphasized when twice a wolf howled . Still , plunging and snorting now and then , the beast held pluckily on while the miles melted behind them , and midnight was past when Alton , turning , half-asleep , in his saddle , fancied he heard somebody riding behind him . For a moment his fingers tightened on the bridle , but his hearing was dulled by weakness and the numbing cold , and pressing his heels home he rode on into the darkness . It would probably have occurred to him at any other time that the beast responded with suspicious readiness , but his perceptions were not of the clearest just then , which was unfortunate , because the trail led downwards steeply through black darkness along the edge of a ravine . The rain had also washed parts of it away , and no ray of moonlight pierced the vaulted roof of cedar-sprays .