three o'clock
Therefore , after smoking for a short time , he lay down to sleep . At daybreak the next morning the march through the forest continued . When from time to time they approached its edge , the Cossacks could be seen hovering thickly on the plain ; but they dared not venture into the wood , which was so close that their horses would be worse than useless to them . At three o'clock , when within twenty miles of Orsza , two Polish officers volunteered to push ahead to that town on some peasant 's horses that had been brought from the village where they had slept to acquaint the commander of any French force that might be there with their situation , and to pray for assistance . After a halt of an hour the column pushed on again . When they had marched another twelve miles the forest ceased . Night had long since fallen , and a thick fog hung over the ground .