nine o'clock
`` Never mind the quality , colonel ; I think more of quantity just at present . '' `` Well , that 's on a par with the quality . '' This did not sound very promising ; but we managed to satisfy our hunger , and the men , having eaten their scanty rations , were drawn up ready for the start . At nine o'clock we left the camp , and a rapid march brought us to the village of Macas , which the enemy had just abandoned . Here , to our great delight , we discovered a number of sheep dressed and ready for cooking ; so , for once in a way , we enjoyed a really good meal , while cracking many jokes at the Spaniards ' expense . Then having rested , we pushed on to the foot of the mountains , where the men bivouacked , being too tired to drag themselves any further . I was just preparing to off-saddle when the colonel said , `` Crawford , if you are n't too tired , you can come with me .