four o'clock in the morning
Cuffy took care of the horses , for two of them were to belong to him , giving them even a feed of corn-meal mixed with water , which was all he had to give them . He hitched them in the barn with the exhausted soldiers of the Riverlawn Cavalry , though it was rather close quarters for them . Deck preferred the out-building to Cuffy 's bed , which he offered them . It was four o'clock in the morning when the lieutenant and the sergeant retired upon their bed of straw , though there was plenty of it , and it was a luxury to men who had been accustomed to lie at night on the ground . They had been fully twenty-four hours on their feet , and had been through a great deal of excitement during the day and the night . They were asleep about as soon as they struck the bed . Cuffy came to the barn about nine o'clock in the forenoon to attend to the horses .