noon
Slowly and carefully the whites proceeded to the Indian village at Mystic , where the fierce Pequot chief Sassacus had gathered almost a thousand Indians , the majority of whom could fight . The Indian village was well concealed in a huge swamp , and had not the ground been frozen , the white men could never have approached it . But the cold winter , of which usually the colonists stood in dread , now proved their best friend , for they could march over the hard ground with ease and reach the Indian village in spite of the swamp which surrounded it . One day , at noon , it was reported to Captain Mason that they had almost reached the village of Mystic . The troops were gathered in the thick woods , in a little valley , which shut them off from the inquisitive eyes of the Pequot scouts . It was a cold , unpleasant day , and a fierce storm was raging , which drove the sharp , icy flakes into the faces of the men as they moved forward . Hurriedly John Mason called together his officers and discussed with them the matter of attack .