two o'clock in the
morning
`` At once , sir , '' began the Zouave bowing . `` One evening we had pursued a troop of Bedouins , and when night set in we were too far away from camp to reach it . We lay down in a hollow ; the terrible howling of panthers and hyenas was the song to put us to sleep . Toward two o'clock in the morning I awoke suddenly -- the moon had risen and I saw a large dark body close to the hollow pass by rapidly . I soon got my gun ready and fired . The sound woke the captain up and he inquired the reason . Ere I had time to answer , I heard a cry of anguish proceeding from above the hollow -- in two leaps the captain reached the top of the rock and I followed him .