midnight
It was not so dangerous as it seemed , for , once he had gained the shelter of the jungle , no less than a pack of hounds could have followed him , inasmuch as the thickets were laced by a network of trails that gave forth no sound to naked soles , and the rustling branches overhead , played upon by the never-ceasing breeze , drowned all signal of his presence . Once he had defied the tribal law , he knew no further peace . It was like the first taste of blood to an animal . Thereafter Inocencio , the outlaw , whose name was a symbol of daring , became a jackal prowling through the midnight glades , tasting the scent of the villages , and staring with hungry eyes from just beyond the shadow 's edge . Rather he became a panther , for in his caution was no cowardice , only a feline patience . Village after village he hunted until he had marked his prey . Then he waited to spring .