noon
He often felt glad that at any rate he was an artilleryman , for others had a much worse time of it . A few days earlier an infantry regiment had moved into the neighbouring barracks ; and looking through the palings of their parade-ground they could see the battalions exercising . There was a yellow , dried-up looking major who was never , never satisfied . He would keep his battalion at it in the sun till past noon ; and then after a short pause for refreshment the same cruel business would begin all over again . The devil ! How could a couple of hundred men be as symmetrical as a machine ? The artillery-drivers had climbed on to the fence .