about three o'clock in the afternoon
The men were , in most instances , absent , but the women seldom failed to abuse us in no measured terms for our behaviour , nor could I help feeling that we deserved everything , that was said against us . My men , I must say , behaved very well . In no instance did they offer any violence to the villagers , and when they were abused they only laughed and retaliated with jokes , which , if not refined , were harmless . We continued our foraging labours , -LRB- some people might have called them our depredations -RRB- , till about three o'clock in the afternoon , when I judged that it was necessary to commence our retreat . From the experience I had gained I felt pretty certain that we should be harassed on our march by the enemy . I therefore formed my people in the best order I could for defence . Our six butchers , with their axes , saws , and knives , marched ahead as an advanced guard .