about two o'clock in the afternoon
It was impossible to miss it , and Harry , careful not to ride into an ambush of rear guard pickets , dropped back a little , and also kept slightly to the left of the great trail . He could not see the soldiers now , but occasionally he heard the deep sound of so many hoofs sinking into the soft turf . Beyond that turfy sigh no sound from the marching men came to him . The Union troop halted about two o'clock in the afternoon , and the men ate cold food from the knapsacks . They also rested a full hour , and Harry , watching from a distance , felt sure that their lack of hurry indicated a night attack of some kind . They had altered their course slightly , twice , and when they started anew they did so a third time . Now their purpose occurred suddenly to Harry .