Inevitably more precise leaks now percolated through to those unsympathetic to the putschists. From Tizi-Ouzou General Simon, in command of Kabylia, one of the senior officers who was to remain rock-firm in support of de Gaulle, telephoned to warn Morin at the Palais d'Été that evening that "something was afoot". Morin telephoned the Commander-in-Chief, Gambiez, who rang back with some irritation, around midnight, assuring the Government-Delegate that all was well: "I've spoken to Saint-Marc at Zéralda. He's just returned from dining with General Saint-Hillier. When I mentioned the movement of troops of the general reserve, why, that made him laugh. Everything at his end is perfectly quiet." Next, a telephone call from the Ministry of the Interior in Paris gave Morin quite different intelligence. After Gambiez had had two more conversations, in increasing ill-humour, with the Government-Delegate, the deceived but courageous little general set off himself by staff-car towards Zéralda to find out what was happening.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 1363