about two o'clock
I , of course , saddled the horse the General had given me , which had been reserved for important work . We mounted , and proceeded at a gentle pace through a very wild and broken country , still in the direction of the Cuchilla . About midday scouts came riding in and reported that the enemy were close upon us . After halting for half an hour , we again proceeded at the same gentle pace till about two o'clock , when we crossed the Cañada de San Paulo , a deep valley beyond which the plain rose to a height of about one hundred and fifty feet . In the _ cañada _ we stopped to water our horses , and there heard that the enemy were advancing along it at a rapid pace , evidently hoping to cut off our supposed retreat towards the Cuchilla . Crossing the little stream of San Paulo , we began slowly ascending the sloping plain on the farther side till the highest point was gained ; then , turning , we saw the enemy , numbering about seven hundred men , beneath us , spread out in a line of extraordinary length . Up from the valley they came towards us at a brisk trot .