four in the morning
`` Lieutenant Trent believes that you are not likely to catch up with the fugitives , and there would be danger of running a handful of men into a cunning Mexican ambush , '' the petty officer reported , two minutes later . After that the night dragged slowly . Trent allowed some of his men to sleep in doorways an hour or so at a time , but there were enough sailormen awake to handle any sudden surprise or attack . At four in the morning Trent 's command was relieved by a company of marines with two machine guns . Lieutenant Trent , under orders , marched his command back to a park in which tents had been pitched . Here , under blankets on the ground , the tired sailormen and their three officers were allowed to sleep until noon . By daylight of that day , Wednesday , the first detachment ashore had been strongly reinforced .