about 2
A.M
I did not know . My panting horse was glad to get breathing-space , so I sat there in the saddle , waiting . I pulled my coat around my shoulders , for the air was chilly . It was then about 2 A.M. . A sharp sound disturbed my reverie -- the sound of a horse 's hoofs galloping over the rocky river-bed . The rattle was so clear , so distinct , in that atmosphere and at that hour , that I could hear it long before my eyes could detect anything , even in that bright moonlight . Then , in a few moments , there approached a horse at full gallop , with his head low down and neck extended -- at first apparently riderless , but as he came nearer I was startled to discover a black shape , hanging over the off-side , and , as the frightened steed tore past me , I saw it was a woman .