seven o'clock
They had had a hard time of it since they left Rheims , making nearly forty miles in two days ' marching ; if they could maintain the pace and if they kept straight on in the direction they were pursuing , there could be no doubt that they would destroy the second German army and effect a junction with Bazaine before the third , the Crown Prince of Prussia 's , which was said to be at Vitry-le Francois , could get up to Verdun . `` Oh , come now ! I wonder if they are going to let us starve ! '' was Chouteau 's remark when , at seven o'clock , there was still no sign of rations . By way of taking time by the forelock , Jean had instructed Loubet to light the fire and put on the pot , and , as there was no issue of firewood , he had been compelled to be blind to the slight irregularity of the proceeding when that individual remedied the omission by tearing the palings from an adjacent fence . When he suggested knocking up a dish of bacon and rice , however , the truth had to come out , and he was informed that the rice and bacon were lying in the mud of the Saint-Etienne road . Chouteau lied with the greatest effrontery declaring that the package must have slipped from his shoulders without his noticing it .