one o'clock
I followed him to the room to which I was posted , where he directed an old soldier to look after me and give me all necessary information . My instructor 's name was Higgins . He was a good-natured man , and had seen much service , on the strength of which he indulged in the pleasure of grumbling and finding fault with things in general , rather than with people in particular . After he had showed me the bed which I was to consider my own , and other things , the men came about me , and asked me a number of questions , which I answered frankly ; and thus the time passed till one o'clock , when dinner was ready . The dinner was a very good one , and all the mess things , plates , basins , knives , forks , and spoons , struck me as being very nice and clean . Higgins asked me to sit down ; but , as I cast my eye over my rough not over-clean countrified dress , I felt ashamed of myself among so many fine-looking red jackets , forgetting that every man present had once been much in the same state that I then was . All , however , went pleasantly enough till three o'clock , when the recruits fell in for drill , as did the regiment .