twilight of midday
They had crossed the floor of the lower Half Moon and were moving up a gentle slope leading along the spur of the mountains to the right of Indian Creek when they met one of the Half Moon cowboys driving a small band of saddle-horses ahead of him . Lonesome Pete stopped for a word with him , and Conniston , seeing the road plain ahead , rode on alone . A mile farther and he had entered the forest of pines through which the road lay , winding and twisting to avoid the boles of the larger trees or the big scattered boulders which were many upon the steepening slope . Now he could seldom see more than a hundred yards in front of him , and now he had left the stifling heat behind him for the cool shadows which made a dim twilight of midday . Two miles of this pleasant shade , fragrant with the spicy balsam of the forest , and the road began to turn to the left , across the spine of the ridge and into the deep ravine . Presently he heard the bawling of the stream somewhere through the undergrowth below him , its gurgle and clatter making merry music with the swish of the stirring pine-tops . And suddenly , as he made a sharp turn , he drew in his horse with a little exclamation of surprise .