ak by day and a blanket at night. Presently a
trampling of horses was heard, and Hannibal and his personal staff rode
into the encampment.

He had not started until several hours after them, when, having given
his last orders and made all final arrangements for the management
of affairs during his absence, he had ridden on to join the army.
Dismounting, he went at once on foot among the troops, chatting gaily
with them and inquiring how they fared. After visiting all the other
detachments he came to the bivouac of the Carthaginian horse, and for an
hour sat talking by their fires.

"Ah!" he said as he rose to go, "the others will sleep well enough
tonight; but you sybarites, accustomed to your soft couches and your
luxuries, will fare badly. I remember my first night on the hard ground,
although `tis now sixteen years back, how my limbs ached and how I
longed for morning. Now, let me give you a hint how to make your beds
comfortable. Mind, this is not for the future, but till your limbs get
accustomed to the ground you may indulge in luxuries. Before you try
to go off to sleep note exactly where your hip bones and shoulders will
rest; take your daggers and scoop out the earth at these points so as
to make depressions in which they may lie. Then spread your lion skins
above them and lie down. You will sleep as comfortably as if on a soft
couch."

Many of the young soldiers followed Hannibal's advice; others, among
whom was Malchus, determined to accustom themselves at once to the hard
ground. Malchus was not long in getting to sleep, his last thought being
that the precaution advised by Hannibal to ensure repose was altogether
unnecessary. But he changed his opinion when, two or three hours later,
he woke up with acute pains in his hip and shoulder. After trying
vainly, by changing his position, again to go off to sleep, he rose,
rolled up the skin, and set to work to make the excavations recommended
by the general. Then spreading out the skin again he lay down, and was
astonished to find how immense was the relief afforded by this simple
expedient.

At daybreak the party were in motion. Their march was a long one; for
Hannibal wished to come up with the main army as soon as possible, and
no less than thirty miles were encompassed before they halted for the
night. They were now far up on the slopes of the Sierras. The latter
part of the journey had been exceedingly toilsome. The route was mostly
bare rock, which sor