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