ten o'clock
Comparatively few of the officers of Ralph 's regiment were married men , and there were therefore fewer of those agonizing partings that wrung the hearts of many belonging to regiments that had been quartered for some time at home ; but Ralph saw enough to convince him that the soldier should remain a single man at any rate during such times as he is likely to be called upon for serious service in the field . It was a relief when the bands of the regiment struck up , and with a light step the troops marched away from the city where they had spent so many pleasant weeks . As the troops marched on their spirits rose -- and indeed the British soldier is always at his gayest when there is a prospect of fighting -- the hum of voices rose along the column , jokes were exchanged , and there was laughter and merriment . The pace was not rapid , and there were frequent stoppages , for a long column can not march at the same pace as a single regiment ; and it was ten o'clock when they halted at Mount St. Jean , fourteen miles from Brussels . Here the men sat down by the roadside , opened their haversacks , and partook of a hasty meal . Suddenly there was a cheer from the rear of the column . Nearer and nearer it grew , and the regiment leaped to their feet and joined in the shout , as the Duke of Wellington , with a brilliant staff , rode forward on his way to the front .