midnight
The covered waggon to which I was ordered to march was standing , as I have said , in the courtyard of the farm , with another dismal vehicle of the same kind hard by it . Each was pretty well filled with a crew of men , whom the atrocious crimp who had seized upon me , had enlisted under the banners of the glorious Frederick ; and I could see by the lanterns of the sentinels , as they thrust me into the straw , a dozen dark figures huddled together in the horrible moving prison where I was now to be confined . A scream and a curse from my opposite neighbour showed me that he was most likely wounded , as I myself was ; and , during the whole of the wretched night , the moans and sobs of the poor fellows in similar captivity kept up a continual painful chorus , which effectually prevented my getting any relief from my ills in sleep . At midnight -LRB- as far as I could judge -RRB- the horses were put to the waggons , and the creaking lumbering machines were put in motion . A couple of soldiers , strongly armed , sat on the outer bench of the cart , and their grim faces peered in with their lanterns every now and then through the canvas curtains , that they might count the number of their prisoners . The brutes were half-drunk , and were singing love and war songs , such as ` O Gretchen mein Taubchen , mein Herzenstrompet , Mein Kanon , mein Heerpauk und meine Musket , ' ` Prinz Eugen der edle Ritter . ' and the like ; their wild whoops and jodels making doleful discord with the groans of us captives within the waggons .