eet deep in the hollow plains, and above a
foot on the level and rising ground.

Some of the men, however, remained as if nailed to the soil--not only
their limbs benumbed, but their mental energies so paralysed as to be
incapable of acting on the physical; the mind inaccessible to moral
incentives, and the body insensible to the influence of outward
stimulants. By and by they found energy to beg that they might be
hoisted on the arm-chairs; but this was peremptorily refused. Since
Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, and the recent work of Dr Shrimpton on
the disaster at Boo-Taleb, every one knows the consequence of
indulging this deceitful stupor.

But we found we must do more than talk; so we set the drums and
trumpets about the ears of the sleepers, and made their comrades shake
them with all their might. It was not till after an hour's march, in
which coaxing, scolding, and pushing, stimulants to laughter and
provocatives to anger, had been incessantly employed in turn, that the
vital powers appeared to be in tolerably full play. There was one man
more obstinate than the rest, who, in order to get a place on one of
the cacolets, threatened every minute to lie down on the ground. I
slid among the ranks, and began telling one of his comrades all the
horrible stories I knew of those who, yielding to sleep in the cold,
had awaked no more; adding, with affected indifference: 'I am afraid
we shall have to leave some of our poor men as a supper for the hyenas
to-night. There are two or three of them so benumbed and stupified,
that they will perish if they halt for a single instant.' In a few
minutes, I learned that the soldier had done begging to be carried; he
said his strength was returning.

In the midst of so much human distress, it seems almost like trifling
to advert to the poor swallows. On awaking in the morning, I had found
two under my bed-cover. They allowed themselves to be taken, and
either could not, or would not fly away when I tried to banish them.
So I put them in the hood of my cloak, and allowed it to fall down my
back, while I raised over my head that of the ample burnoose which I
wear in the cold above all my other garments. The swallows travelled
thus for several hours, and gradually recovered in their warm nest.
When the sun emitted some genial rays, I took them out, and set them
free. They fluttered for some time round my horse, uttering a little
cry, which I took for an expression of gratitude befor