midnight
Garcia 's plan was for two days to bombard the city , and if , in that time , Alvarez had not surrendered , to attack El Pecachua by night . As usual , the work was so divided that the more dangerous and difficult part of it fell to the Foreign Legion , for in his plan Garcia so ordered it that Laguerre should storm Pecachua , while he advanced from the plain and attacked the city at the stone bridge . But this plan was never carried out , and after our first day in front of the Capital , General Garcia never again gave an order to General Laguerre . After midnight on the evening of that first day Aiken came to the hut where we had made our head-quarters and demanded to see the General on a matter of life and death . With him , looking very uncertain as to the propriety of the visit , were all the officers of the Legion . The General was somewhat surprised and somewhat amused , but he invited us to enter . When the officers had lined up against the walls he said , `` As a rule , I call my own councils of war , but no doubt Mr. Aiken has some very good reason for affording me the pleasure of your company .