salammbo-第68章

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results　from　complicity　in　irreparable　crimes。



The　Barbarians　had　encountered　the　storm　in　their　ill…closed　tents；

and　they　were　still　quite　chilled　on　the　morrow　as　they　tramped

through　the　mud　in　search　of　their　stores　and　weapons；　which　were

spoiled　and　lost。



Hamilcar　went　himself　to　see　Hanno；　and；　in　virtue　of　his　plenary

powers；　intrusted　the　command　to　him。　The　old　Suffet　hesitated　for　a

few　minutes　between　his　animosity　and　his　appetite　for　authority；　but

he　accepted　nevertheless。



Hamilcar　next　took　out　a　galley　armed　with　a　catapult　at　each　end。　He

placed　it　in　the　gulf　in　front　of　the　raft；　then　he　embarked　his

stoutest　troops　on　board　such　vessels　as　were　available。　He　was

apparently　taking　to　flight；　and　running　northward　before　the　wind　he

disappeared　into　the　mist。



But　three　days　afterwards；　when　the　attack　was　about　to　begin　again；

some　people　arrived　tumultuously　from　the　Libyan　coast。　Barca　had　come

among　them。　He　had　carried　off　provisions　everywhere；　and　he　was

spreading　through　the　country。



Then　the　Barbarians　were　indignant　as　though　he　were　betraying　them。

Those　who　were　most　weary　of　the　siege；　and　especially　the　Gauls；　did

not　hesitate　to　leave　the　walls　in　order　to　try　and　rejoin　him。

Spendius　wanted　to　reconstruct　the　helepolis；　Matho　had　traced　an

imaginary　line　from　his　tent　to　Megara；　and　inwardly　swore　to　follow

it；　and　none　of　their　men　stirred。　But　the　rest；　under　the　command　of

Autaritus；　went　off；　abandoning　the　western　part　of　the　rampart；　and

so　profound　was　the　carelessness　exhibited　that　no　one　even　thought　of

replacing　them。



Narr'　Havas　spied　them　from　afar　in　the　mountains。　During　the　night　he

led　all　his　men　along　the　sea…shore　on　the　outer　side　of　the　Lagoon；

and　entered　Carthage。



He　presented　himself　as　a　saviour　with　six　thousand　men　all　carrying

meal　under　their　cloaks；　and　forty　elephants　laden　with　forage　and

dried　meat。　The　people　flocked　quickly　around　them；　they　gave　them

names。　The　sight　of　these　strong　animals；　sacred　to　Baal；　gave　the

Carthaginians　even　more　joy　than　the　arrival　of　such　relief；　it　was　a

token　of　the　tenderness　of　the　god；　a　proof　that　he　was　at　last　about

to　interfere　in　the　war　to　defend　them。



Narr'　Havas　received　the　compliments　of　the　Ancients。　Then　he　ascended

to　Salammbo's　palace。



He　had　not　seen　her　again　since　the　time　when　in　Hamilcar's　tent　amid

the　five　armies　he　had　felt　her　little；　cold；　soft　hand　fastened　to

his　own；　she　had　left　for　Carthage　after　the　betrothal。　His　love；

which　had　been　diverted　by　other　ambitions；　had　come　back　to　him；　and

now　he　expected　to　enjoy　his　rights；　to　marry　her；　and　take　her。



Salammbo　did　not　understand　how　the　young　man　could　ever　become　her

master！　Although　she　asked　Tanith　every　day　for　Matho's　death；　her

horror　of　the　Libyan　was　growing　less。　She　vaguely　felt　that　the　hate

with　which　he　had　persecuted　her　was　something　almost　religious；and

she　would　fain　have　seen　in　Narr'　Havas's　person　a　reflection；　as　it

were；　of　that　malice　which　still　dazzled　her。　She　desired　to　know　him

better；　and　yet　his　presence　would　have　embarrassed　her。　She　sent　him

word　that　she　could　not　receive　him。



Moreover；　Hamilcar　had　forbidden　his　people　to　admit　the　King　of　the

Numidians　to　see　her；　by　putting　off　his　reward　to　the　end　of　the　war

he　hoped　to　retain　his　devotion；and；　through　dread　of　the　Suffet；

Narr'　Havas　withdrew。



But　he　bore　himself　haughtily　towards　the　Hundred。　He　changed　their

arrangements。　He　demanded　privileges　for　his　men；　and　placed　them　on

important　posts；　thus　the　Barbarians　stared　when　they　perceived

Numidians　on　the　towers。



The　surprise　of　the　Carthaginians　was　greater　still　when　three　hundred

of　their　own　people；　who　had　been　made　prisoners　during　the　Sicilian

war；　arrived　on　board　an　old　Punic　trireme。　Hamilcar；　in　fact；　had

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　wer