noon
There was so much to be done , so many matters to be arranged ; there were competent and trustworthy men to be chosen and instructed in the parts they were to play , and , above all , there was the necessity of preventing the enemy from having any suspicion of what they were about to do . December 12th , as , alas ! many unfortunate families have good reason to remember , opened with sunshine , and was more like a spring than a winter 's day . Towards noon , however , clouds appeared in the sky , and as day closed in , snow commenced to fall , and showed every sign of continuing . Nothing could have been better suited to the expedition Max had in view . To his commanding officer he applied for permission to act that night , which permission , all the necessary preparations being made , was readily accorded him . It was still snowing heavily , and , in consequence , the night was so dark and thick that it was scarcely possible to see half a dozen steps ahead .