About four o'clock
Mrs. Parker busied herself with some fancy work while her daughter sought the Farrel library and pretended to read . An atmosphere of depression appeared to have settled over the rancho ; Kay observed that even Pablo moved about in a furtive manner ; he cleaned and oiled his rifle and tested the sights with shots at varying ranges . Carolina 's face was grave and her sweet falsetto voice was not raised in song once during the afternoon . About four o'clock when the shadows began to lengthen , Kay observed Pablo riding forth on his old pinto pony . Before him on the saddle he carried a pick and shovel and in reply to her query as to what he purposed doing , he replied that he had to clean out a spring where the cattle were accustomed to drink . So she returned to the library and Pablo repaired to a willow thicket in the sandy wash of the San Gregorio and dug a grave . That night , at twilight , while the family and servants were at dinner , Pablo dragged his problem down to this grave , with the aid of the pinto pony , and hid it forever from the sight of men .