four o'clock in the afternoon
Their minds , their wills , their efforts , their physical strength to the last ounce and pennyweight belonged indissolubly to him . For the time being they were his slaves , his serfs , his beasts of burden , his draught animals , no better than the dogs straining in the traces beside them . Forward they must and would go until they dropped in the harness or he gave the word to pause . At four o'clock in the afternoon Bennett halted . Two miles had been made since the last camp , and now human endurance could go no farther . Sometimes when the men fell they were unable to get up . It was evident there was no more in them that day .