midnight
We 'll be with you by dinner-time . '' Two hours later , when the telegraph operator , breathless and excited , rushed into the colonel 's tent and woke him with the news that his wire was cut up towards the Chug , the colonel was devoutly thankful for the inspiration that prompted him to send `` K '' Troop forward through the darkness . He bade his adjutant , the light-weight of the officers then on duty , take his own favorite racer , Van , and speed away on the trail of `` K '' Troop , tell them that the line was cut , -- that there was trouble ahead ; to push on lively with what force they had , and that two more companies would be hurried to their support . At midnight `` K '' Troop , riding easily along in the moonlight , had travelled a little over half the distance to Phillips 's ranch . The lieutenant , who with two or three troopers was scouting far in advance , halted at the crest of a high ridge over which the road climbs , and dismounted his little party for a brief rest while he went up ahead to reconnoitre . Cavalrymen in the Indian country never ride into full view on top of a `` divide '' until after some one of their number has carefully looked over the ground beyond . There was nothing in sight that gave cause for long inspection , or that warranted the officer 's taking out his field-glasses .