a quarter to eight
`` Well , they saw the sense of that . O'Farrelly formed his men up outside and made a speech to them . He said if any man funked it he could stay where he was and only those who really wanted to die need go on . It was a quarter to eight when he finished talking and I was in terror of my life that there 'd be some delay getting rid of the men who fell out . But there was n't a single defaulter . Every blessed one of those men -- and most of them were only boys -- did a right turn and marched out of the town in column of fours . I can tell you , Waterhouse , I did n't like watching them go .