The cowed group rose in a frightened way and disappeared one by one silently through the labyrinth.

Pereo waited until the last had vanished, and then, cramming his stiff sombrero over his eyes with an ejaculation, brushed his way through the shrubbery in the direction of the stables.
Later, when the full glory of the midnight moon had put out every straggling light in the great house; when the long veranda slept in massive bars of shadow, and even the tradewinds were hushed to repose, Pereo silently issued from the stable-yard in vaquero's dress, mounted and caparisoned.

Picking his way cautiously along the turf-bordered edge of the gravel path, he noiselessly reached a gate that led to the lane.

Walking his spirited mustang with difficulty until the house had at last disappeared in the intervening foliage, he turned with an easy canter into a border bridle-path that seemed to lead to the canada.

In a quarter of an hour he had reached a low amphitheatre of meadows, shut in a half circle of grassy treeless hills.
Here, putting spurs to his horse, he entered upon a singular exercise.
Twice he made a circuit of the meadow at a wild gallop, with flying serape and loosened rein, and twice returned.