eleven o'clock
The new station was blithe and merry with Christmas preparations and pretty girls . All the married officers ' families had rejoined . Half a dozen fair visitors had come from the distant East . The band was good ; the dancing men were many ; the dancing floor was fine , and the dance they were having on Friday night , December 16 , was all that even an army dance could be until just after eleven o'clock . Then something happened to cast a spell over everybody . Bob Lanier was officer-of-the-guard . Bob had asked the colonel to let him turn over his sword to a brother officer , who , being in mourning , could not dance , and the colonel had curtly said no .