three o'clock in the afternoon
The days before the party were full of excitement for the Twins . They thought of nothing else , and how strange it was that Bastille Day and the Commandant 's birthday both should be the same as theirs . Mother Meraut bought some cloth , and made Pierrette a new dress , and Pierre a new blouse , to wear on the great occasion , and when the day finally came , the children searched the fields to find flowers for a bouquet for the Commandant ; since they had no other birthday gift to offer him . At three o'clock in the afternoon the whole village was ready to start . Mademoiselle drove the truck with the old people and little children sitting in it on heaps of straw . Kathleen was the driver of the Ford car , and had as passengers Father Meraut , because he was lame , and Grandpere because he was Grandpere , and the Twins because it was their birthday ; and everybody else walked . When they reached the camp , they found Jim and Uncle Sam ready to act as guard of honor to conduct them to the Commandant , who , with the Captain beside him , waited to receive them beside the flagstaff at the reviewing-stand of the parade-ground .