four o'clock
No movement was yet to be seen on the part of the French ; there was , therefore , no occasion to hurry . Those , therefore , of the men who were not out on patrol stretched themselves on the ground and rested till noon . Dinner over the infantry marched off in two columns , the cavalry remaining until four o'clock in the afternoon , when upon the advance of Ney in front and Napoleon on the left they fell back , and after some sharp skirmishes with the enemy 's light cavalry joined the infantry before nightfall in their position near Mount St. Jean and Waterloo . Rain had fallen for a time during the afternoon of the battle , and now at four o'clock it again began to come down heavily , soaking the troops to the skin . `` This is miserable , Stapleton , '' Ralph said to his friend , after the regiment had piled arms on the ground pointed out to them by the officers of the quartermaster 's department . `` I am rather glad to hear you say it is miserable , Ralph . I was certainly thinking so myself ; but you always accuse me of being a grumbler , so I thought I would hold my tongue . ''