noon
The horses of the cavalry , starved and staggering , worn to skin and bone , had to be towed along instead of ridden , and the cavalry were therefore handicapped . Yet there was not a trooper who did not honor the bluff senior major , and none who really disliked him , except perhaps the battalion commander of the cavalry , a gentleman whose gold leaves were as dazzlingly new as the senior 's were old and withered , and just about to be changing into silver , the silver of the lieutenant-colonel . The contrast between Major White 's spirited handling of his battalion of foot and Major Chrome 's listless management of a similar body of horse was vivid in the last degree . The latter and two of his troops belonged to Atherton 's fine regiment , the -- th , the other two troops , Cranston 's and Truman 's , were , as we know , of the Eleventh , and here in presence of four officers of the latter 's regiment , and a dozen of the Fortieth Foot and of the -- th Horse , -- here on the broad parade of the cantonment , at high noon and in plain sight and hearing even of three or four enlisted men , orderlies , horse-holders , etc. , had the post commander spoken words that meant nothing short of discredit , if not disgrace , to the subaltern who was at that very instant riding away on a perilous as well as thankless mission . Deep , embarrassed silence fell on one and all of the major 's hearers for a single instant . Cranston reddened with indignation , little Sanders with wrath . Truman looked quickly and curiously about him .