about six o'clock
Lord Grey waved his hand to us , as he turned away with his friend . We took off our hats in reply , hardly in a soldierly salute ; then we set off at a walk along the Taunton road . It is a lonely road leading up to the hills , a straight Roman road , better than any roads laid in England at that time ; but a road which strikes horror into one , the country through which it runs is so bleak . By about six o'clock -LRB- according to one of the troopers , who judged by the height of the sun -RRB- we were in a clump of firs high up on a hill , looking over a vast piece of eastern Devon . We had scouted pretty closely all round Honiton , examining the country people , without hearing of any troops . We were now looking out for some gleam upon a road , some rising of dust over a hedge , some scattering of birds even , any sign of men advancing , which might be examined more closely . The morning was bright ; but the valleys had mist upon them , which would soon turn to the quivering blue June heat-haze .