about six o'clock, morning
`` A man ca n't always be diplomatic , '' grumbles Bingo . `` Anyhow , she 'd seen a bit of a scrap at the outset of affairs , when the B.S.A. went out with the Armoured Train , and was wild with me for wantin ' to deprive her of another ` glorious experience . ' ... And next morning she rides out with a Corporal and two troopers , both chaps beastly sensible of their responsibility , and wishin ' her at Cape Town , she in toppin ' spirits and as keen as mustard . It was about six o'clock , morning , and she had n't been gone five minutes before we heard you fellows poundin ' away and bein ' pounded at like Jimmy O ! I was on the roof with the Chief , the sweat runnin ' down into the binoculars , until the veld seemed swarmin ' with brown mares and grey linen habits and drab smasher hats , with my wife 's head under 'em , and hoverin ' troopers . But I did make out that your party had got into difficulties -- '' `` We opened on 'em at a thousand yards , and pushed to within five hundred , and if the fellows in charge of the Hotchkiss could have got her into play , '' Beauvayse interrupts rather huffily , `` we 'd have been as right as rain . '' `` Possibly .