midnight
For there is no smoke from the houses , no lights anywhere , everybody seeming to be asleep . Nothing strange in all this ; nor do they looking down from the hill think it so . Instead , things are just as they should be and as Caspar anticipated they would . For it is now the midnight hour , and since red men must have rest as well as white ones , the Tovas have all retired to their beds or hammocks . So concluding , and satisfied with what they see -- reflecting further that nothing more can be done till morning -- the gaucho and his companions go back to their horses , with the intention of taking off the saddles , and otherwise disposing of them for the night . It was at first proposed to keep them tied to the scaffold-posts , but on a second inspection of the place , Gaspar sees it is not the best one either for their animals or themselves to pass the night in . Should they go to rest under the scaffold , while asleep , their horses turning restive might pull down the posts , and bring rattling about their ears the bones of some dead _ cacique _ !