salammbo-第69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！



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。



Several；　in　fact；　carefully　kept　a　reserve　of　food　in　a　hole　in　the

grounda　few　handfuls　of　dates；　or　a　little　meal；　and　they　ate　this

during　the　night；　with　their　heads　bent　beneath　their　cloaks。　Those

who　had　swords　kept　them　naked　in　their　hands；　and　the　most　suspicious

remained　standing　with　their　backs　against　the　mountain。



They　accused　their　chiefs　and　threatened　them。　Autaritus　was　not

afraid　of　showing　himself。　With　the　Barbaric　obstinacy　which　nothing

could　discourage；　he　would　advance　twenty　times　a　day　to　the　rocks　at

the　bottom；　hoping　every　time　to　find　them　perchance　displaced；　and

swaying　his　heavy　fur…covered　shoulders；　he　reminded　his　companions　of

a　bear　coming　forth　from　its　cave　in　springtime　to　see　whether　the

snows　are　melted。



Spendius；　surrounded　by　the　Greeks；　hid　himself　in　one　of　the　gaps；　as

he　was　afraid；　he　caused　a　rumour　of　his　death　to　be　spread。



They　were　now　hideously　lean；　their　skin　was　overlaid　with　bluish

marblings。　On　the　evening　of　the　ninth　day　three　Iberians　died。



Their　frightened　companions　left　the　spot。　They　were　stripped；　and　the

white；　naked　bodies　lay　in　the　sunshine　on　the　sand。



Then　the　Garamantians　began　to　prowl　slowly　round　about　them。　They

were　men　accustomed　to　existence　in　solitude；　and　they　reverenced　no

god。　At　last　the　oldest　of　the　band　made　a　sign；　and　bending　over　the

corpses　they　cut　strips　from　them　with　their　knives；　then　squatted

upon　their　heels　and　ate。　The　rest　looked　on　from　a　distance；　they

uttered　cries　of　horror；many；　nevertheless；　being；　at　the　bottom　of

their　souls；　jealous　of　such　courage。



In　the　middle　of　the　night　some　of　these　approached；　and；　dissembling

their　eagerness；　asked　for　a　small　mouthful；　merely　to　try；　they　said。

Bolder　ones　came　up；　their　number　increased；　there　was　soon　a　crowd。

But　almost　all　of　them　let　their　hands　fall　on　feeling　the　cold　flesh

on　the　edge　of　their　lips；　others；　on　the　contrary；　devoured　it　with

delight。



That　they