midnight
The chest of gold , however , the renegade stealthily lowered into the sea without any one seeing it . The next day when the Spanish coast was sighted the captain put them all in a skiff , gave them some bread and water for their voyage , and set out to sea . Before letting them depart , moved by some strange impulse , he gave Zoraida forty crowns ; and he had not robbed her of her beautiful gown . They steered their skiff towards the shore , where they landed soon after midnight . Immediately they left the shore , eager to know where they were . They climbed the mountain -- for the shore was a rocky one -- and there they rested until dawn , then went on into the country . Soon they met a young shepherd ; but when he saw their strange garbs , he ran away from them like a frightened lamb , crying that the Moors had invaded the country .