The huge camp was awake now and aware of what was happening on the Nile.

They could not see well because of the tall reeds upon the river's rim and therefore, without order or discipline, by the thousand and the ten thousand, for their numbers were countless, some with arms and some without, they ran to the slope of sand beneath our station and began to climb it to have a better view of the burning ships.
The sun leapt up swiftly as it does in Egypt.

His glowing edge appeared over the crest of the hill though the hollows beneath were still filled with shadow.

The moment was at hand.

I waited till I had counted ten, glancing to the right and left of me to see that all were ready and to suffer the crowd to thicken on the slope, but not to reach the lowest rocks, whither they were climbing.