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CHAPTER XI.

THE NIGHT-MARCH ON THE GRAND PLATEAU—THEMUR DE LA COTE—VICTORY!

T was twenty minutes to twelve

when the note of preparation forour second startwas sounded. Tair-raz shook up the more drowsy of theguides, and they were soon bustlingabout, and making their arrange-ments for the work before us. They had not much tocarry now. Everything, with the exception of a fewbottles of wine, some small loaves, and two or threecold fowls, was to be left on the Grands Mulets:there was no danger of theft from passers-by, asCarrier observed. This quarter of an hour beforemidnight was, I think, the heaviest during thejourney. Now that we were going to leave ourlodging, I did feel uncommonly tired ; and wild andrugged as it was, I began to think the blankets and