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 sorely tried the
feet of the soldiers, these being in most cases unprotected even
by sandals. Malchus and his mounted companions did not of course
suffer in their feet. But they were almost as glad as the infantry
when the camping place was reached, for nothing is more fatiguing
to a horseman than to be obliged to travel in the saddle for ten
hours at the pace of footmen. The halting place this time was near
the upper edge of the forest which then clothed the lower slopes
of the mountains.