mistaken；　that　there　was　only　one；　and　even　to　believe　that　there　were
  none　at　all。　At　last　he　was　lifted　up。
  〃Speak！〃　said　Matho。
  He　offered　to　give　up　Hamilcar；　then　they　would　enter　Carthage　and
  both　be　kings。
  Matho　withdrew；　signing　to　the　others　to　make　haste。　It　was　a
  stratagem；　he　thought；　to　gain　time。
  The　Barbarian　was　mistaken；　Hanno　was　in　an　extremity　when
  consideration　is　had　to　nothing；　and；　moreover；　he　so　execrated
  Hamilcar　that　he　would　have　sacrificed　him　and　all　his　soldiers　on　the
  slightest　hope　of　safety。
  The　Ancients　were　languishing　on　the　ground　at　the　foot　of　the
  crosses；　ropes　had　already　been　passed　beneath　their　armpits。　Then　the
  old　Suffet；　understanding　that　he　must　die；　wept。
  They　tore　off　the　clothes　that　were　still　left　on　himand　the　horror
  of　his　person　appeared。　Ulcers　covered　the　nameless　mass；　the　fat　on
  his　legs　hid　the　nails　on　his　feet；　from　his　fingers　there　hung　what
  looked　like　greenish　strips；　and　the　tears　streaming　through　the
  tubercles　on　his　cheeks　gave　to　his　face　an　expression　of　frightful
  sadness；　for　they　seemed　to　take　up　more　room　than　on　another　human
  face。　His　royal　fillet；　which　was　half　unfastened；　trailed　with　his
  white　hair　in　the　dust。
  They　thought　that　they　had　no　ropes　strong　enough　to　haul　him　up　to
  the　top　of　the　cross；　and　they　nailed　him　upon　it；　after　the　Punic
  fashion；　before　it　was　erected。　But　his　pride　awoke　in　his　pain。　He
  began　to　overwhelm　them　with　abuse。　He　foamed　and　twisted　like　a
  marine　monster　being　slaughtered　on　the　shore；　and　predicted　that　they
  would　all　end　more　horribly　still；　and　that　he　would　be　avenged。
  He　was。　On　the　other　side　of　the　town；　whence　there　now　escaped　jets
  of　flame　with　columns　of　smoke；　the　ambassadors　from　the　Mercenaries
  were　in　their　last　throes。
  Some　who　had　swooned　at　first　had　just　revived　in　the　freshness　of　the
  wind；　but　their　chins　still　rested　upon　their　breasts；　and　their
  bodies　had　fallen　somewhat；　in　spite　of　the　nails　in　their　arms；　which
  were　fastened　higher　than　their　heads；　from　their　heels　and　hands
  blood　fell　in　big；　slow　drops；　as　ripe　fruit　falls　from　the　branches
  of　a　tree；and　Carthage；　gulf；　mountains；　and　plains　all　appeared　to
  them　to　be　revolving　like　an　immense　wheel；　sometimes　a　cloud　of　dust；
  rising　from　the　ground；　enveloped　them　in　its　eddies；　they　burned　with
  horrible　thirst；　their　tongues　curled　in　their　mouths；　and　they　felt
  an　icy　sweat　flowing　over　them　with　their　departing　souls。
  Nevertheless　they　had　glimpses；　at　an　infinite　depth；　of　streets；
  marching　soldiers；　and　the　swinging　of　swords；　and　the　tumult　of
  battle　reached　them　dimly　like　the　noise　of　the　sea　to　shipwrecked　men
  dying　on　the　masts　of　a　ship。　The　Italiotes；　who　were　sturdier　than
  the　rest；　were　still　shrieking。　The　Lacedaemonians　were　silent；　with
  eyelids　closed；　Zarxas；　once　so　vigorous；　was　bending　like　a　broken
  reed；　the　Ethiopian　beside　him　had　his　head　thrown　back　over　the　arms
  of　the　cross；　Autaritus　was　motionless；　rolling　his　eyes；　his　great
  head　of　hair；　caught　in　a　cleft　in　the　wood；　fell　straight　upon　his
  forehead；　and　his　death…rattle　seemed　rather　to　be　a　roar　of　anger。　As
  to　Spendius；　a　strange　courage　had　come　to　him；　he　despised　life　now
  in　the　certainty　which　he　possessed　of　an　almost　immediate　and　an
  eternal　emancipation；　and　he　awaited　death　with　impassibility。
  Amid　their　swooning；　they　sometimes　started　at　the　brushing　of
  feathers　passing　across　their　lips。　Large　wings　swung　shadows　around
  them；　croakings　sounded　in　the　air；　and　as　Spendius's　cross　was　the
  highest；　it　was　upon　his　that　the　first　vulture　alighted。　Then　he
  turned　his　face　towards　Autaritus；　and　said　slowly　to　him　with　an
  unaccountable　smile：
  〃Do　you　remember　the　lions　on　the　road　to　Sicca？〃
  〃They　were　our　brothers！〃　replied　the　Gaul；　as　he　expired。
  The　Suffet；　meanwhile；　had　bored　through　the　walls　and　reached　the
  citadel。　The　smoke　suddenly　disappeared　before　a　gust　of　wind；
  discovering　the　horizon　as　far　as　the　walls　of　Carthage；　he　even
  thought　that　he　could　distinguish　people　watching　on　the　platform　of
  Eschmoun；　then；　bringing　back　his　eyes；　he　perceived　thirty　crosses　of
  extravagant　size　on　the　shore　of　the　Lake；　to　the　left。
  In　fact；　to　render　them　still　more　frightful；　they　had　been
  constructed　with　tent…poles　fastened　end　to　end；　and　the　thirty
  corpses　of　the　Ancients　appeared　high　up　in　the　sky。　They　had　what
  looked　like　white　butterflies　on　their　breasts；　these　were　the
  feathers　of　the　arrows　which　had　been　shot　at　them　from　below。
  A　broad　gold　ribbon　shone　on　the　summit　of　the　highest；　it　hung　down
  to　the　shoulder；　there　being　no　arm　on　that　side；　and　Hamilcar　had
  some　difficulty　in　recognising　Hanno。　His　spongy　bones　had　given　way
  under　the　iron　pins；　portions　of　his　limbs　had　come　off；　and　nothing
  was　left　on　the　cross　but　shapeless　remains；　like　the　fragments　of
  animals　that　are　hung　up　on　huntsmen's　doors。
  The　Suffet　could　not　have　known　anything　about　it；　the　town　in　front
  of　him　masked　everything　that　was　beyond　and　behind；　and　the　captains
  who　had　been　successively　sent　to　the　two　generals　had　not　re…
  appeared。　Then　fugitives　arrived　with　the　tale　of　the　rout；　and　the
  Punic　army　halted。　This　catastrophe；　falling　upon　them　as　it　did　in
  the　midst　of　their　victory；　stupefied　them。　Hamilcar's　orders　were　no
  longer　listened　to。
  Matho　took　advantage　of　this　to　continue　his　ravages　among　the
  Numidians。
  Hanno's　camp　having　been　overthrown；　he　had　returned　against　them。　The
  elephants　came　out；　but　the　Mercenaries　advanced　through　the　plain
  shaking　about　flaming　firebrands；　which　they　had　plucked　from　the
  walls；　and　the　great　beasts；　in　fright；　ran　headlong　into　the　gulf；
  where　they　killed　one　another　in　their　struggles；　or　were　drowned
  beneath　the　weight　of　their　cuirasses。　Narr'　Havas　had　already
  launched　his　cavalry；　all　threw　themselves　face　downwards　upon　the
  ground；　then；　when　the　horses　were　within　three　paces　of　them；　they
  sprang　beneath　their　bellies；　ripped　them　open　with　dagger…strokes；
  and　half　the　Numidians　had　perished　when　Barca　came　up。
  The　exhausted　Mercenaries　could　not　withstand　his　troops。　They　retired
  in　good　order　to　the　mountain　of　the　Hot　Springs。　The　Suffet　was
  prudent　enough　not　to　pursue　them。　He　directed　his　course　to　the
  mouths　of　the　Macaras。
  Tunis　was　his；　but　it　was　now　nothing　but　a　heap　of　smoking　rubbish。
  The　ruins　fell　through　the　breaches　in　the　walls　to　the　centre　of　the
  plain；　quite　in　the　background；　between　the　shores　of　the　gulf；　the
  corpses　of　the　elephants　drifting　before　the　wind　conflicted；　like　an
  archipelago　of　black　rocks　floating　on　the　water。
  Narr'　Havas　had　drained　his　forests　of　these　animals；　taking　young　and
  old；　male　and　female；　to　keep　up　the　war；　and　the　military　force　of
  his　kingdom　could　not　repair　the　loss。　The　people　who　had　seen　them
  perishing　at　a　distance　were　grieved　at　it；　men　lamented　in　the
  streets；　calling　them　by　their　names　like　deceased　friends：　〃Ah！　the
  Invincible！　the　Victory！　the　Thunderer！　the　Swallow！〃　On　the　first
  day；　too；　there　was　no　talk　except　of　the　dead　citizens。　But　on　the
  morrow　the　tents　of　the　Mercenaries　were　seen　on　the　mountain　of　the
  Hot　Springs。　Then　so　deep　was　the　despair　that　many　people；　especially
  women；　flung　themselves　headlong　from　the　top　of　the　Acropolis。
  Hamilcar's　designs　were　not　known。　He　lived　alone　in　his　tent　with
  none　near　him　but　a　young　boy；　and　no　one　ever　ate　with　them；　not　even
  excepting　Narr'　Havas。　Nevertheless　he　showed　great　deference　to　the
  latter　after　Hanno's　defeat；　but　the　king　of　the　Numidians　had　too
  great　an　interest　in　becoming　his　son　not　to　distrust　him。
  This　inertness　veiled　skilful　manoeuvres。　Hamilcar　seduced　the　heads
  of　the　villages　by　all　sorts　of　artifices；　and　the　Mercenaries　were
  hunted；　repulsed；　and　enclosed　like　wild　beasts。　As　soon　as　they
  entered　a　wood；　the　trees　caught　fire　around　them；　when　they　drank　of
  a　spring　it　was　poisoned；　the　caves　in　which　they　hid　in　order　to
  sleep　were　walled　up。　Their　old　accomplices；　the　populations　who　had
  hitherto　defended　them；　now　pursued　them；　and　they　continually
  recognised　Carthaginian　armour　in　these　bands。
  Many　had　their　faces　consumed　with　red　tetters；　this；　they　thought；
  had　come　to　them　through　touching　Hanno。　Others　imagined　that　it　was
  because　they　had　eaten　Salammbo's　fishes；　and　far　from　repenting　of
  it；　they　dreamed　of　even　more　abominable　sacrileges；　so　that　the
  abasement　of　the　Punic　Gods　might　be　still　greater。　They　would　fain
  have　exterminated　them。
  In　this　way　they　lingered　for　three　months　along　the　eastern　coast；
  and　then　behind　the　mountain　of　Selloum；　and　as　far　as　the　first　sands
  of　the　desert。　They　sought　for　a　place　of　refuge；　no　matter　where。
  Utica　and　Hippo…Zarytus　alone　had　not　betrayed　them；　but　Hamilcar　was
  encompa