four o'clock
Even at that hour men were at work in the corrals , fitting saddles to half a dozen spare horses , -- about all that were left at the post , -- and Miss Wren learned that Colonel Byrne , with an orderly or two , had remained at Arnold 's ranch , -- that Arnold himself , with six horsemen from the post , was to set forth at four , join the colonel at dawn , and together all were to push forward on the trail of Stout 's command , hoping to overtake them by nightfall . She whispered this to sleepless Kate on her return to the house , for Angela , exhausted with grief and long suspense , had fallen , apparently , into deep and dreamless slumber . But the end of that eventful night was not yet . Arnold and his sextette slipped away soon after four o'clock , and about 4.50 there came a banging at the major 's door . It was the telegraph operator . The wire was patched at last , and the first message was to the effect that the guard had been fired on in Cherry Creek cañon -- that Private Forrest was sorely wounded and lying at Dick 's deserted ranch , with two of their number to care for him . Could they possibly send a surgeon at once ?