salammbo-第75章

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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

encompassing　these　two　towns。　Then　they　went　northwards　at　haphazard

without　even　knowing　the　various　routes。　Their　many　miseries　had

confused　their　understandings。



The　only　feeling　left　them　was　one　of　exasperation；　which　went　on

developing；　and　one　day　they　found　themselves　again　in　the　gorges　of

Cobus　and　once　more　before　Carthage！



Then　the　actions　multiplied。　Fortune　remained　equal；　but　both　sides

were　so　wearied　that　they　would　willingly　have　exchanged　these

skirmishes　for　a　great　battle；　provided　that　it　were　really　the　last。



Matho　was　inclined　to　carry　this　proposal　himself　to　the　Suffet。　One

of　his　Libyans　devoted　himself　for　the　purpose。　All　were　convinced　as

they　saw　him　depart　that　he　would　not　return。



He　returned　the　same　evening。



Hamilcar　accepted　the　challenge。　The　encounter　should　take　place　the

following　day　at　sunrise；　in　the　plain　of　Rhades。



The　Mercenaries　wished　to　know　whether　he　had　said　anything　more；　and

the　Libyan　added：



〃As　I　remained　in　his　presence；　he　asked　me　what　I　was　waiting　for。

'To　be　killed！'　I　replied。　Then　he　rejoined：　'No！　begone！　that　will　be

to…morrow　with　the　rest。'〃



This　generosity　astonished　the　Barbarians；　some　were　terrified　by　it；

and　Matho　regretted　that　the　emissary　had　not　been　killed。



He　had　still　remaining　three　thousand　Africans；　twelve　hundred　Greeks；

fifteen　hundred　Campanians；　two　hundred　Iberians；　four　hundred

Etruscans；　five　hundred　Samnites；　forty　Gauls；　and　a　troop　of　Naffurs；

nomad　bandits　met　with　in　the　date　regionin　all　seven　thousand　two

hundred　and　nineteen　soldiers；　but　not　one　complete　syntagmata。　They

had　stopped　up　the　holes　in　their　cuirasses　with　the　shoulder…blades

of　quadrupeds；　and　replaced　their　brass　cothurni　with　worn　sandals。

Their　garments　were　weighted　with　copper　or　steel　plates；　their　coats

of　mail　hung　in　tatters　about　them；　and　scars　appeared　like　purple

threads　through　the　hair　on　their　arms　and　faces。



The　wraiths　of　their　dead　companions　came　back　to　their　souls　and

increased　their　energy；　they　felt；　in　a　confused　way；　that　they　were

the　ministers　of　a　god　diffused　in　the　hearts　of　the　oppressed；　and

were　the　pontiffs；　so　to　speak；　of　universal　vengeance！　Then　they　were

enraged　with　grief　at　what　was　extravagant　injustice；　and　above　all　by

the　sight　of　Carthage　on　the　horizon。　They　swore　an　oath　to　fight　for

one　another　until　death。



The　beasts　of　burden　were　killed；　and　as　much　as　possible　was　eaten　so

as　to　gain　strength；　afterwards　they　slept。　Some　prayed；　turning

towards　different　constellations。



The　Carthaginians　arrived　first　in　the　plain。　They　rubbed　the　edges　of

their　shields　with　oil　to　make　the　arrows　glide　off　them　easily；　the

foot…soldiers　who　wore　long　hair　took　the　precaution　of　cutting　it　on

the　forehead；　and　Hamilcar　ordered　all　bowls　to　be　inverted　from　the

fifth　hour；　knowing　that　it　is　disadvantageous　to　fight　with　the

stomach　too　full。　His　army　amounted　to　fourteen　thousand　men；　or　about

double　the　number　of　the　Barbarians。　Nevertheless；　he　had　never　felt

such　anxiety；　if　he　succumbed　it　would　mean　the　annihilation　of　the

Republic；　and　he　would　perish　on　the　cross；　if；　on　the　contrary；　he

triumphed；　he　would　reach　Italy　by　way　of　the　Pyrenees；　the　Gauls；　and

the　Alps；　and　the　empire　of　the　Barcas　would　become　eternal。　Twenty

times　during　the　night　he　rose　to　inspect　everything　himself；　down　to

the　most　trifling　details。　As　to　the　Carthaginians；　they　were

exasperated　by　their　lengthened　terror。　Narr'　Havas　suspected　the

fidelity　of　his　Numidians。　Moreover；　the　Barbarians　might　vanquish

them。　A　strange　weakness　had　come　upon　him；　every　moment　he　drank

large　cups　of　water。



But　a　man　whom　he　did　not　know　opened　his　tent　and　laid　on　the　ground

a　crown　of　rock…salt；　adorned　with　hieratic　designs　formed　with

sulphur；　and　lozenges　of　mother…of…pearl；　a　marriage　crown　was

sometimes　sent　to　a　betrothed　husband；　it　was　a　proof　of　love；　a　sort

of　invitation。



Nevertheless　Hamilcar's　daughter　had　no　tenderness　for　Narr'　Havas。



The　recollection　of　Matho　disturbed　her　in　an　intolerable　manner；　it

seemed　to　her　that　the　death　of　this　man　would　unburden　her　thoughts；

just　as　people　to　cure　themselves　of　the　bite　of　a　viper　crush　it　upon

the　wound。　The　king　of　the　Numidians　was　depending　upon　her；　he

awaited　the　wedding　with　impatience；　and；　as　it　was　to　follow　the

victory；　Salammbo　made　him　this　present　to　stimulate　his　courage。　Then

his　distress　vanished；　and　he　thought　only　of　the　happiness　of

possessing　so　beautiful　a　woman。



The　same　vision　had　assailed　Matho；　but　he　cast　it　from　him

immediately；　and　his　love；　that　he　thus　thrust　back；　was　poured　out

upon　his　companions　in　arms。　He　cherished　them　like　portions　of　his

own　person；　of　his　hatred；and　he　felt　his　spirit　higher；　and　his

arms　stronger；　everything　that　he　was　to　accomplish　appeared　clearly

before　him。　If　sighs　sometimes　escaped　him；　it　was　because　he　was

thinking　of　Spendius。



He　drew　up　the　Barbarians　in　six　equal　ranks。　He　posted　the　Etruscans

in　the　centre；　all　being　fastened　to　a　bronze　chain；　the　archers　were

behind；　and　on　the　wings　he　distributed　the　Naffurs；　who　were　mounted

on　short…haired　camels；　covered　with　ostrich　feathers。



The　Suffet　arranged　the　Carthaginians　in　similar　order。　He　placed　the

Clinabarians　outside　the　infantry　next　to　the　velites；　and　the

Numidians　beyond；　when　day　appeared；　both　sides　were　thus　in　line　face

to　face。　All　gazed　at　each　other　from　a　distance；　with　round　fierce

eyes。　There　was　at　first　some　hesitation；　at　last　both　armies　moved。



The　Barbarians　advanced　slowly　so　as　not　to　become　out　of　breath；

beating　the　ground　with　their　feet；　the　centre　of　the　Punic　army

formed　a　convex　curve。　Then　came　the　burst　of　a　terrible　shock；　like

the　crash　of　two　fleets　in　collision。　The　first　rank　of　the　Barbarians

had　q