eleven o'clock
So , then , about seven o'clock the shells begin to come tumbling about our ears . _ Nom de Dieu ! _ but it was lively work ! we jumped for our shooting-irons , and up to eleven o'clock it looked as if we were going to polish 'em off in fine style . But you must know that there were only five thousand of us , and the beggars kept coming , coming as if there was no end to them . I was posted on a little hill , behind a bush , and I could see them debouching in front , to right , to left , like rows of black ants swarming from their hill , and when you thought there were none left there were always plenty more . There 's no use mincing matters , we all thought that our leaders must be first-class nincompoops to thrust us into such a hornet 's nest , with no support at hand , and leave us to be crushed there without coming to our assistance .