The soldiers had a simple dinner and then relaxed for half an hour with songs and wine—a necessary military supply, of which each person's ration was not enough to get them drunk—before spreading their blankets on the ground and lying down to sleep in the open air.
There was about half a meter of space between each person, creating a neat array of small squares that formed a unique "carpet" over the Atlas Mountains.
Inside the officers' tents, Joseph sipped his vegetable beef soup while watching Bertier and the others gathered around a map discussing battle deployments.
"Since the day before yesterday, we've been encountering more and more Algerian scouts. It seems they can't be far from here," said the Cavalry Camp Commander.
Bertier pointed to the west side of Naivesey, "We should be able to reach here by tomorrow. Be ready for a skirmish at any time."