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secretly　sent　back　to　the　Quirites　the　crews　of　the　Latin　vessels；

taken　before　the　defection　of　the　Tyrian　towns；　and；　to　reciprocate

the　courtesy；　Rome　was　now　sending　him　back　her　captives。　She　scorned

the　overtures　of　the　Mercenaries　in　Sardinian；　and　would　not　even

recognise　the　inhabitants　of　Utica　as　subjects。



Hiero；　who　was　ruling　at　Syracuse；　was　carried　away　by　this　example。

For　the　preservation　of　his　own　States　it　was　necessary　that　an

equilibrium　should　exist　between　the　two　peoples；　he　was　interested；

therefore；　in　the　safety　of　the　Chanaanites；　and　he　declared　himself

their　friend；　and　sent　them　twelve　hundred　oxen；　with　fifty…three

thousand　nebels　of　pure　wheat。



A　deeper　reason　prompted　aid　to　Carthage。　It　was　felt　that　if　the

Mercenaries　triumphed；　every　one；　from　soldier　to　plate…washer；　would

rise；　and　that　no　government　and　no　house　could　resist　them。



Meanwhile　Hamilcar　was　scouring　the　eastern　districts。　He　drove　back

the　Gauls；　and　all　the　Barbarians　found　that　they　were　themselves　in

something　like　a　state　of　siege。



Then　he　set　himself　to　harass　them。　He　would　arrive　and　then　retire；

and　by　constantly　renewing　this　manoeuvre；　he　gradually　detached　them

from　their　encampments。　Spendius　was　obliged　to　follow　them；　and　in

the　end　Matho　yielded　in　like　manner。



He　did　not　pass　beyond　Tunis。　He　shut　himself　up　within　its　walls。

This　persistence　was　full　of　wisdom；　for　soon　Narr'　Havas　was　to　be

seen　issuing　from　the　gate　of　Khamon　with　his　elephants　and　soldiers。

Hamilcar　was　recalling　him；　but　the　other　Barbarians　were　already

wandering　about　in　the　provinces　in　pursuit　of　the　Suffet。



The　latter　had　received　three　thousand　Gauls　from　Clypea。　He　had

horses　brought　to　him　from　Cyrenaica；　and　armour　from　Brutium；　and

began　the　war　again。



Never　had　his　genius　been　so　impetuous　and　fertile。　For　five　moons　he

dragged　his　enemies　after　him。　He　had　an　end　to　which　he　wished　to

guide　them。



The　Barbarians　had　at　first　tried　to　encompass　him　with　small

detachments；　but　he　always　escaped　them。　They　ceased　to　separate　then。

Their　army　amounted　to　about　forty　thousand　men；　and　several　times

they　enjoyed　the　sight　of　seeing　the　Carthaginians　fall　back。



The　horsemen　of　Narr'　Havas　were　what　they　found　most　tormenting。

Often；　at　times　of　the　greatest　weariness；　when　they　were　advancing

over　the　plains；　and　dozing　beneath　the　weight　of　their　arms；　a　great

line　of　dust　would　suddenly　rise　on　the　horizon；　there　would　be　a

galloping　up　to　them；　and　a　rain　of　darts　would　pour　from　the　bosom　of

a　cloud　filled　with　flaming　eyes。　The　Numidians　in　their　white　cloaks

would　utter　loud　shouts；　raise　their　arms；　press　their　rearing

stallions　with　their　knees；　and；　wheeling　them　round　abruptly；　would

then　disappear。　They　had　always　supplies　of　javelins　and　dromedaries

some　distance　off；　and　they　would　return　more　terrible　than　before；

howl　like　wolves；　and　take　to　flight　like　vultures。　The　Barbarians

posted　at　the　extremities　of　the　files　fell　one　by　one；　and　this　would

continue　until　evening；　when　an　attempt　would　be　made　to　enter　the

mountains。



Although　they　were　perilous　for　elephants；　Hamilcar　made　his　way　in

among　them。　He　followed　the　long　chain　which　extends　from　the

promontory　of　Hermaeum　to　the　top　of　Zagouan。　This；　they　believed；　was

a　device　for　hiding　the　insufficiency　of　his　troops。　But　the　continual

uncertainty　in　which　he　kept　them　exasperated　them　at　last　more　than

any　defeat。　They　did　not　lose　heart；　and　marched　after　him。



At　last　one　evening　they　surprised　a　body　of　velites　amid　some　big

rocks　at　the　entrance　of　a　pass　between　the　Silver　Mountain　and　the

Lead　Mountain；　the　entire　army　was　certainly　in　front　of　them；　for　a

noise　of　footsteps　and　clarions　could　be　heard；　the　Carthaginians

immediately　fled　through　the　gorge。　It　descended　into　a　plain；　and　was

shaped　like　an　iron　hatchet　with　a　surrounding　of　lofty　cliffs。　The

Barbarians　dashed　into　it　in　order　to　overtake　the　velites；　quite　at

the　bottom　other　Carthaginians　were　running　tumultuously　amid

galloping　oxen。　A　man　in　a　red　cloak　was　to　be　seen；　it　was　the

Suffet；　they　shouted　this　to　one　another；　and　they　were　carried　away

with　increased　fury　and　joy。　Several；　from　laziness　or　prudence；　had

remained　on　the　threshold　of　the　pass。　But　some　cavalry；　debouching

from　a　wood；　beat　them　down　upon　the　rest　with　blows　of　pike　and

sabre；　and　soon　all　the　Barbarians　were　below　in　the　plain。



Then　this　great　human　mass；　after　swaying　to　and　fro　for　some　time；

stood　still；　they　could　discover　no　outlet。



Those　who　were　nearest　to　the　pass　went　back　again；　but　the　passage

had　entirely　disappeared。　They　hailed　those　in　front　to　make　them　go

on；　they　were　being　crushed　against　the　mountain；　and　from　a　distance

they　inveighed　against　their　companions；　who　were　unable　to　find　the

route　again。



In　fact　the　Barbarians　had　scarcely　descended　when　men　who　had　been

crouching　behind　the　rocks　raised　the　latter　with　beams　and　overthrew

them；　and　as　the　slope　was　steep　the　huge　blocks　had　rolled　down　pell…

mell　and　completely　stopped　up　the　narrow　opening。



At　the　other　extremity　of　the　plain　stretched　a　long　passage；　split　in

gaps　here　and　there；　and　leading　to　a　ravine　which　ascended　to　the

upper　plateau；　where　the　Punic　army　was　stationed。　Ladders　had　been

placed　beforehand　in　this　passage　against　the　wall　of　cliff；　and；

protected　by　the　windings　of　the　gaps；　the　velites　were　able　to　seize

and　mount　them　before　being　overtaken。　Several　even　made　their　way　to

the　bottom　of　the　ravine；　they　were　drawn　up　with　cables；　for　the

ground　at　this　spot　was　of　moving　sand；　and　so　much　inclined　that　it

was　impossible　to　climb　it　even　on　the　knees。　The　Barbarians　arrived

almost　immediately。　But　a　portcullis；　forty　cubits　high；　and　made　to

fit　the　intervening　space　exactly；　suddenly　sank　before　them　like　a

rampart　fallen　from　the　skies。



The　Suffet's　combinations　had　therefore　succeeded。　None　of　the

Mercenaries　knew　the　mountain；　and；　marching　as　they　did　at　the　head

of　their　columns；　they　had　drawn　on　the　rest。　The　rocks；　which　were

somewhat　narrow　at　the　base；　had　been　easily　cast　down；　and；　while　all

were　running；　his　army　had　raised　shouts；　as　of　distress；　on　the

horizon。　Hamilcar；　it　is　true；　might　have　lost　his　velites；　only　half

of　whom　remained；　but　he　would　have　sacrificed　twenty　times　as　many

for　the　success　of　such　an　enterprise。



The　Barbarians　pressed　forward　until　morning；　in　compact　files；　from

one　end　of　the　plain　to　the　other。　They　felt　the　mountain　with　their

hands；　seeking　to　discover　a　passage。



At　last　day　broke；　and　they　perceived　all　about　them　a　great　white

wall　hewn　with　the　pick。　And　no　means　of　safety；　no　hope！　The　two

natural　outcomes　from　this　blind　alley　were　closed　by　the　portcullis

and　the　heaps　of　rocks。



Then　they　all　looked　at　one　another　without　speaking。　They　sank　down

in　collapse；　feeling　an　icy　coldness　in　their　loins；　and　an

overwhelming　weight　upon　their　eyelids。



They　rose；　and　bounded　against　the　rocks。　But　the　lowest　were　weighted

by　the　pressure　of　the　others；　and　were　immovable。　They　tried　to　cling

to　them　so　as　to　reach　the　top；　but　the　bellying　shape　of　the　great

masses　rendered　all　hold　impossible。　They　sought　to　cleave　the　ground

on　both　sides　of　the　gorge；　but　their　instruments　broke。　They　made　a

large　fire　with　the　tent　poles；　but　the　fire　could　not　burn　the

mountain。



They　returned　to　the　portcullis；　it　was　garnished　with　long　nails　as

thick　as　stakes；　as　sharp　as　the　spines　of　a　porcupine；　and　closer

than　the　hairs　of　a　brush。　But　they　were　animated　by　such　rage　that

they　dashed　themselves　against　it。　The　first　were　pierced　to　the

backbone；　those　coming　next　surged　over　them；　and　all　fell　back；

leaving　human　fragments　and　bloodstained　hair　on　those　horrible

branches。



When　their　discouragement　was　somewhat　abated；　they　made　an

examination　of　the　provisions。　The　Mercenaries；　whose　baggage　was

lost；　possessed　scarcely　enough　for　two　days；　and　all　the　rest　found

themselves　destitute；for　they　had　been　awaiting　a　convoy　promised　by

the　villages　of　the　South。



However；　some　bulls　were　roaming　about；　those　which　the　Carthaginians

had　loosed　in　the　gorge　to　attract　the　Barbarians。　They　killed　them

with　lance　thrusts　and　ate　them；　and　when　their　stomachs　were　filled

their　thoughts　were　less　mournful。



The　next　day　they　slaughtered　all　the　mules　to　the　number　of　about

forty；　then　they　scraped　the　skins；　boiled　the　entrails；　pounded　the

bones；　and　did　not　yet　despair；　the　army　from　Tunis　had　no　doubt　been

warned；　and　was　coming。



But　on　the　evening　of　the　fifth　day　their　hunger　increased；　they

gnawed　their　sword…belts；　and　the　little　sponges　which　bordered　the

bottom　of　their　helmets。



These　forty　thousand　men　were　massed　into　the　species　of　hippodrome

formed　by　the　mountain　about　them。　Some　remained　in　front　of　the

portcullis；　or　at　the　foot　of　the　rocks；　the　rest　covered　the　plain

confusedly。　The　strong　shunned　one　another；　and　the　timid　sought　out

the　brave；　who；　nevertheless；　were　unable　to　save　them。



To　avoid　infection；　the　corpses　of　the　velites　had　been　speedily

buried；　and　the　position　of　the　graves　was　no　longer　visible。



All　the　Barbarians　lay　drooping　on　the　ground。　A　veteran　would　pass

between　their　lines　here　and　there；　and　they　would　howl　curses　against

the　Carthaginians；　against　Hamilcar；　and　against　Matho；　although　he

was　innocent　of　their　disaster；　but　it　seemed　to　them　that　their　pains

would　have　been　less　if　he　had　shared　them。　Then　they　groaned；　and

some　wept　softly　like　little　children。



They　came　to　the　captains　and　besought　them　to　grant　them　something

that　would　alleviate　their　sufferings。　The　others　made　no　reply；　or；

seized　with　fury；　would　pick　up　a　stone　and　fling　it　in　their　faces。