About one o'clock
It has n't been such a bad day ; do n't let 's find fault . '' As night approached , however , the rain began to fall again . Some of the men had taken possession of what few unoccupied houses there were on the peninsula , others were provided with tents that they erected , but by far the greater number , without shelter of any sort , destitute of blankets even , were compelled to pass the night in the open air , exposed to the pouring rain . About one o'clock Maurice , who had been sleeping soundly as a result of his fatigue , awoke and found himself in the middle of a miniature lake . The trenches , swollen by the heavy downpour , had overflowed and inundated the ground where he lay . Chouteau 's and Loubet 's wrath vented itself in a volley of maledictions , while Pache shook Lapoulle , who , unmindful of his ducking , slept through it all as if he was never to wake again . Then Jean , remembering the row of poplars on the bank of the canal , collected his little band and ran thither for shelter ; and there they passed the remainder of that wretched night , crouching with their backs to the trees , their legs doubled under them , so as to expose as little of their persons as might be to the big drops .