about noon
She took no pleasure in Mark 's collections , and sent no more for the musical seaman . To make matters worse , there came in , on the following day , a report that some of her soldiers had captured a large band of fugitives in a distant part of the country , and were then marching them in chains to the capital . As this band was at the time approaching , the Queen gave orders to halt on an eminence that overlooked the path along which they had to travel , that she might see them . It was about noon when they drew near-worn , weary , and footsore . The Queen was so placed among the bushes that she could see the captives without being herself seen . Her chief officers stood near her . Mark and his companions had taken up a position much nearer to the forest path .