noon
After the battle was gained , General Bonaparte retired to Gerofola with his staff , and I was ordered to proceed after him , with the Hauptmann Klingenswert of the Austrian army , -- one of our prisoners who had served on Melas 's staff , and knew everything about the effective strength of the army and all their plans . `` We set off at daybreak . It was in June , and a lovely morning too ; and as my prisoner was an officer and a man of honor , I took no escort , but rode along at his side . We halted at noon to dine in a little grove of cedars , where I opened my canteen and spread the contents on the grass : and after regaling ourselves pleasantly , we lighted our meerschaums and chatted away like old comrades over the war and its chances . A more agreeable fellow than the Austrian I never met . He told me his whole history , and I told him mine ; and we drank Brüderschaft together , and swore I do n't know how many eternal friendships . The devil was just amusing himself with us all this time though , as you 'll see presently ; for we soon got into an argument about the charge in which our brigade captured the guns .