midday
`` Mr. Holt , qui pensait a tout , '' says Blaise , `` gets off his horse , examines the pockets of the dead officer for papers , gives his money to us two , and says , ` The wine is drawn , M. le Marquis , ' -- why did he say Marquis to M. le Vicomte ? -- ` we must drink it . ' `` The poor gentleman 's horse was a better one than that I rode , '' Blaise continues ; `` Mr. Holt bids me get on him , and so I gave a cut to Whitefoot , and she trotted home . We rode on towards Newbury ; we heard firing towards midday : at two o'clock a horseman comes up to us as we were giving our cattle water at an inn -- and says , ` All is done ! The Ecossais declared an hour too soon -- General Ginckel was down upon them . ' The whole thing was at an end . `` ` And we 've shot an officer on duty , and let his orderly escape , ' says my lord .