salammbo-第54章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



frantic。　Women　stretched　themselves　on　the　corpses；　mouth　to　mouth　and

brow　to　brow；　it　was　necessary　to　beat　them　in　order　to　make　them

withdraw　when　the　earth　was　being　thrown　in。　They　blackened　their

cheeks；　they　cut　off　their　hair；　they　drew　their　own　blood　and　poured

it　into　the　pits；　they　gashed　themselves　in　imitation　of　the　wounds

that　disfigured　the　dead。　Roarings　burst　forth　through　the　crashings

of　the　cymbals。　Some　snatched　off　their　amulets　and　spat　upon　them。

The　dying　rolled　in　the　bloody　mire　biting　their　mutilated　fists　in

their　rage；　and　forty…three　Samnites；　quite　a　〃sacred　spring；〃　cut　one

another's　throats　like　gladiators。　Soon　wood　for　the　funeral…piles

failed；　the　flames　were　extinguished；　every　spot　was　occupied；　and

weary　from　shouting；　weakened；　tottering；　they　fell　asleep　close　to

their　dead　brethren；　those　who　still　clung　to　life　full　of　anxieties；

and　the　others　desiring　never　to　wake　again。



In　the　greyness　of　the　dawn　some　soldiers　appeared　on　the　outskirts　of

the　Barbarians；　and　filed　past　with　their　helmets　raised　on　the　points

of　their　pikes；　they　saluted　the　Mercenaries　and　asked　them　whether

they　had　no　messages　to　send　to　their　native　lands。



Others　approached；　and　the　Barbarians　recognised　some　of　their　former

companions。



The　Suffet　had　proposed　to　all　the　captives　that　they　should　serve　in

his　troops。　Several　had　fearlessly　refused；　and　quite　resolved　neither

to　support　them　nor　to　abandon　them　to　the　Great　Council；　he　had　sent

them　away　with　injunctions　to　fight　no　more　against　Carthage。　As　to

those　who　had　been　rendered　docile　by　the　fear　of　tortures；　they　had

been　furnished　with　the　weapons　taken　from　the　enemy；　and　they　were

now　presenting　themselves　to　the　vanquished；　not　so　much　in　order　to

seduce　them　as　out　of　an　impulse　of　pride　and　curiosity。



At　first　they　told　of　the　good　treatment　which　they　had　received　from

the　Suffet；　the　Barbarians　listened　to　them　with　jealousy　although

they　despised　them。　Then　at　the　first　words　of　reproach　the　cowards

fell　into　a　passion；　they　showed　them　from　a　distance　their　own　swords

and　cuirasses　and　invited　them　with　abuse　to　come　and　take　them。　The

Barbarians　picked　up　flints；　all　took　to　flght；　and　nothing　more　could

be　seen　on　the　summit　of　the　mountain　except　the　lance…points

projecting　above　the　edge　of　the　palisades。



Then　the　Barbarians　were　overwhelmed　with　a　grief　that　was　heavier

than　the　humiliation　of　the　defeat。　They　thought　of　the　emptiness　of

their　courage；　and　they　stood　with　their　eyes　fixed　and　grinding　their

teeth。



The　same　thought　came　to　them　all。　They　rushed　tumultuously　upon　the

Carthaginian　prisoners。　It　chanced　that　the　Suffet's　soldiers　had　been

unable　to　discover　them；　and　as　he　had　withdrawn　from　the　field　of

battle　they　were　still　in　the　deep　pit。



They　were　ranged　on　the　ground　on　a　flattened　spot。　Sentries　formed　a

circle　round　them；　and　the　women　were　allowed　to　enter　thirty　or　forty

at　a　time。　Wishing　to　profit　by　the　short　time　that　was　allowed　to

them；　they　ran　from　one　to　the　other；　uncertain　and　panting；　then

bending　over　the　poor　bodies　they　struck　them　with　all　their　might

like　washerwomen　beating　linen；　shrieking　their　husband's　names　they

tore　them　with　their　nails　and　put　out　their　eyes　with　the　bodkins　of

their　hair。　The　men　came　next　and　tortured　them　from　their　feet；　which

they　cut　off　at　the　ankles；　to　their　foreheads；　from　which　they　took

crowns　of　skin　to　put　upon　their　own　heads。　The　Eaters　of　Uncleanness

were　atrocious　in　their　devices。　They　envenomed　the　wounds　by　pouring

into　them　dust；　vinegar；　and　fragments　of　pottery；　others　waited

behind；　blood　flowed；　and　they　rejoiced　like　vintagers　round　fuming

vats。



Matho；　however；　was　seated　on　the　ground；　at　the　very　place　where　he

had　happened　to　be　when　the　battle　ended；　his　elbows　on　his　knees；　and

his　temples　in　his　hands；　he　saw　nothing；　heard　nothing；　and　had

ceased　to　think。



At　the　shrieks　of　joy　uttered　by　the　crowd　he　raised　his　head。　Before

him　a　strip　of　canvas　caught　on　a　flagpole；　and　trailing　on　the

ground；　sheltered　in　confused　fashion　blankets；　carpets；　and　a　lion's

skin。　He　recognised　his　tent；　and　he　riveted　his　eyes　upon　the　ground

as　though　Hamilcar's　daughter；　when　she　disappeared；　had　sunk　into　the

earth。



The　torn　canvas　flapped　in　the　wind；　the　long　rags　of　it　sometimes

passed　across　his　mouth；　and　he　perceived　a　red　mark　like　the　print　of

a　hand。　It　was　the　hand　of　Narr'　Havas；　the　token　of　their　alliance。

Then　Matho　rose。　He　took　a　firebrand　which　was　still　smoking；　and

threw　it　disdainfully　upon　the　wrecks　of　his　tent。　Then　with　the　toe

of　his　cothurn　he　pushed　the　things　which　fell　out　back　towards　the

flame　so　that　nothing　might　be　left。



Suddenly；　without　any　one　being　able　to　guess　from　what　point　he　had

sprung　up；　Spendius　reappeared。



The　former　slave　had　fastened　two　fragments　of　a　lance　against　his

thigh；　he　limped　with　a　piteous　look；　breathing　forth　complaints　the

while。



〃Remove　that；〃　said　Matho　to　him。　〃I　know　that　you　are　a　brave

fellow！〃　For　he　was　so　crushed　by　the　injustice　of　the　gods　that　he

had　not　strength　enough　to　be　indignant　with　men。



Spendius　beckoned　to　him　and　led　him　to　a　hollow　of　the　mountain；

where　Zarxas　and　Autaritus　were　lying　concealed。



They　had　fled　like　the　slave；　the　one　although　he　was　cruel；　and　the

other　in　spite　of　his　bravery。　But　who；　said　they；　could　have　expected

the　treachery　of　Narr'　Havas；　the　burning　of　the　camp　of　the　Libyans；

the　loss　of　the　zaimph；　the　sudden　attack　by　Hamilcar；　and；　above　all；

his　manoeuvres　which　forced　them　to　return　to　the　bottom　of　the

mountain　beneath　the　instant　blows　of　the　Carthaginians？　Spendius　made

no　acknowledgement　of　his　terror；　and　persisted　in　maintaining　that

his　leg　was　broken。



At　last　the　three　chiefs　and　the　schalischim　asked　one　another　what

decision　should　now　be　adopted。



Hamilcar　closed　the　road　to　Carthage　against　them；　they　were　caught

between　his　soldiers　and　the　provinces　belonging　to　Narr'　Havas；　the

Tyrian　towns　would　join　the　conquerors；　the　Barbarians　would　find

themselves　driven　to　the　edge　of　the　sea；　and　all　those　united　forces

would　crush　them。　This　would　infallibly　happen。



Thus　no　means　presented　themselves　of　avoiding　the　war。　Accordingly

they　must　prosecute　it　to　the　bitter　end。　But　how　were　they　to　make

the　necessity　of　an　interminable　battle　understood　by　all　these

disheartened　people；　who　were　still　bleeding　from　their　wounds。



〃I　will　undertake　that！〃　said　Spendius。



Two　hours　afterwards　a　man　who　came　from　the　direction　of　Hippo…

Zarytus　climbed　the　mountain　at　a　run。　He　waved　some　tablets　at　arm's

length；　and　as　he　shouted　very　loudly　the　Barbarians　surrounded　him。



The　tablets　had　been　despatched　by　the　Greek　soldiers　in　Sardinia。

They　recommended　their　African　comrades　to　watch　over　Gisco　and　the

other　captives。　A　Samian　trader；　one　Hipponax；　coming　from　Carthage；

had　informed　them　that　a　plot　was　being　organised　to　promote　their

escape；　and　the　Barbarians　were　urged　to　take　every　precaution；　the

Republic　was　powerful。



Spendius's　stratagem　did　not　succeed　at　first　as　he　had　hoped。　This

assurance　of　the　new　peril；　so　far　from　exciting　frenzy；　raised　fears；

and　remembering　Hamilcar's　warning；　lately　thrown　into　their　midst；

they　expected　something　unlooked　for　and　terrible。　The　night　was　spent

in　great　distress；　several　even　got　rid　of　their　weapons；　so　as　to

soften　the　Suffet　when　he　presented　himself。



But　on　the　following　day；　at　the　third　watch；　a　second　runner

appeared；　still　more　breathless；　and　blackened　with　dust。　The　Greek

snatched　from　his　hand　a　roll　of　papyrus　covered　with　Phoenician

writing。　The　Mercenaries　were　entreated　not　to　be　disheartened；　the

brave　men　of　Tunis　were　coming　with　large　reinforcements。



Spendius　first　read　the　letter　three　times　in　succ