ten o'clock
Among the crowd , soldiers of many uniforms -- British infantry , Rifles , Highlanders , artillery and cavalry , sinewy Sikhs , and quiet little Nepaulese -- wandered at will or worked in fatigue parties . The three days past , Colonel Warrener , his sons , and Major Dunlop took their places on horseback with the troop of irregular cavalry commanded by Lieutenant Latham , and joined the flying column which was setting out to attack a large body of the enemy , who were reported to be gathering again near Furruckabad , while simultaneously other columns were leaving in other directions , for broken at Lucknow , the rebels were swarming throughout all Oude . The day was breaking , but the sun was not yet up , when the column started -- for in India it is the universal custom to start very early , so as to get the greater part of the march over before the heat of the day fairly begins -- and the young Warreners were in the highest spirits at the thought that they were on their way to see their sister and cousin , and that their nine months of marching and fighting were drawing to a close , for it is possible to have too much even of adventure . At ten o'clock a halt was called at the edge of a large wood , and after preparing breakfast there was a rest in the shade until four in the afternoon , after which a two hours ' march took them to their halting-place for the night . Tents were pitched , fires lighted , and then , dinner over , they made merry groups , who sat smoking and chatting until nine o'clock , when the noise ceased , the fires burned down , and all was quiet until the _ réveillé _ sounded at four o'clock , after which there was an hour of busy work , getting down , rolling up , and packing the tents and baggage in the wagons . Another day 's march and halt , and then Colonel Warrener and his friends said good-by to their acquaintances in the column , and started with the troop of cavalry for Agra . Unincumbered by baggage , and no longer obliged to conform their pace to that of the infantry , they trotted gayly along , and accomplished forty miles ere they halted for the night near a village .