midnight
He wondered if she ever thought of him . He remembered that , when he rode away , her face was turned toward the Bridal Veil Falls . Did she thus intend to say , `` I love you ? '' At midnight , as the moon rose above the forest , the tall pines whispered of Mariposa , of wild flowers she was wont to gather , of journeys made to highest peaks , of weeks of watching and waiting , and of the burial of Red Cloud at the foot of an ancient sequoia ; then the language of the breezes among the pines became indistinct , and Alfonso , half-asleep , half-awake , saw approaching a white figure . Two dark eyes full of tears , gazed into his face , at first with a startled look , and then with a gleam of joy and trust . Alfonso exclaimed , `` Mariposa ! '' He sought to clasp her in his arms , but the graceful figure vanished , and the pines seemed to whisper , `` Alfonso , I go to join the braves in the happy hunting grounds beyond the setting sun .