第 12 页

distant howling of the wolves, as they hunted in the forest, kept the

horses in a tremor of terror and excitement, and their riders were

obliged over and over again to rise and go among them, and by speaking

to and patting them, to allay their fear. So long as their masters were

near them the well trained horses were quiet and tractable, and would

at a whispered order lie down and remain in perfect quiet; but no sooner

had they left them and again settled to sleep than, at the first howl

which told that the pack were at all approaching, the horses would lift

their heads, prick their ears in the direction of the sound, and rise

to their feet and stand trembling, with extended nostrils snuffing the

unknown danger, pawing the ground, and occasionally making desperate

efforts to break loose from their picket ropes.

The work of soothing had then to be repeated, until at last most of the

riders brought their lions' skins and lay down by the prostrate horses,

with their heads upon their necks. The animals, trained thus to sleep

with their riders by their side, and reassured by the presence of their

masters, were for the most part content to lie quiet, although the packs

of wolves, attracted by the scent of the meat that had been cooked,

approached close to the camp and kept up a dismal chorus round it until

morning.

Day by day the march was continued. The country was wild and rugged,

foaming torrents had to be crossed, precipices surmounted, barren tracts

traversed. But after a week's hard marching the column had overcome the

greater part of the difficulty, had crossed the Sierras and gained the

plateau, which with a gradual fall slopes west down to the Atlantic, and

was for the most part covered with a dense growth of forests. They now

to their satisfaction overtook the main body of the army, and their

marches would be somewhat less severe, for hitherto they had each day

traversed extra distances to make up for the two days' loss in starting.

Here Malchus for the first time saw the bands of Gaulish mercenaries.

The Spanish troops had excited the admiration and astonishment of the

Carthaginians by their stature and strength; but the Gauls were a still

more powerful race. They belonged to the tribes which had poured down

over the Apennines, and occupied the northern portion of Spain long

anterior to the arrival of the Carthaginians. Their countenances were

rugged, and as it seemed to Malchus, savage. Their colour was much

lighter than that of any people he had yet seen. Their eyes were blue,

their hair, naturally fair or brown, was dyed with some preparation

which gave it a red colour.

Some wore their long locks floating over their shoulders, others tied

it in a knot on the top of their heads. They wore a loose short trouser

fastened at the knee, resembling the baggy trousers of the modern Turks.

A shirt with open sleeves came halfway down their thighs, and over

it was a blouse or loose tunic decorated with ornaments of every

description, and fastened at the neck by a metal brooch. Their helmets

were of copper, for the most part ornamented with the horns of stags or

bulls. On the crest of the helmet was generally the figure of a bird

or wild beast. The whole was surmounted by immense tufts of feathers,

something like those of our Highland bonnets, adding greatly to the

height and apparent stature of the wearers.

The Gauls had a passion for ornaments, and adorned their persons with a

profusion of necklaces, bracelets, rings, baldricks, and belts of gold.

Their national arms were long heavy pikes--these had no metal heads,

but the points were hardened by fire; javelins of the same

description--these before going into battle they set fire to, and hurled

blazing at the enemy--lighter darts called mat ras saunions, pikes

with curved heads, resembling the halberds of later times; and straight

swords. Hannibal, however, finding the inconvenience of this diversity

of weapons, had armed his Gaulish troops only with their long straight

swords. These were without point, and made for cutting only, and were

in the hands of these powerful tribesmen terrible weapons. These swords

were not those they had been accustomed to carry, which were made of

copper only, and often bent at the first blow, but were especially made

for them in Carthage of heavy steel, proof against all accident.

The march was conducted with all military precautions, although

they were still traversing a country which had been already subdued.

Nevertheless they moved as if expecting an instant attack. The light

horse scoured the country. The lithe and active soldiers furnished by

the desert tribes formed the advanced guard of the army, and marched

also on its flanks, while the heavy armed soldiery marched in solid

column ready for battle. Behind them came the long train of baggage

protected by a strong rear guard.

At last they reached a fertile country, and were now in the land of the

Vacaei and their allies. Arbocala, now called Tordesillas, was captured

without much difficulty. The siege was then laid to Salamanca, the chief

town of the enemy. In the actual siege operations the Carthaginian

horse took no part. The place resisted vigourously, but the machines

of Hannibal effected a breach in the walls, and the inhabitants,

seeing that further resistance was impossible, offered to capitulate,

stipulating that they should be allowed to depart unharmed, leaving

behind them all their arms and their treasure.

The Carthaginian army were drawn up in readiness to march into the town

as the Vacaei came out. As they filed past the Carthaginians they were

inspected to see that they had carried out the terms of the agreement.

It was found that they had done so rigidly--not an arm of any kind was

found upon them. Their necklaces, bracelets, and ornaments had all been

left behind.

"What a savage looking race!" Malchus remarked to Trebon; "they look at

us as if they would gladly spring on us, unarmed as they are, and

tear us with their hands. They are well nigh as dark skinned as the

Numidians."

"Here come their women!" Trebon said; "verily I would as soon fight the

men as these creatures. Look how they glare at us! You see they have

all had to give up their ornaments, so they have each their private

grievance as well as their national one."

When the whole of the population had filed out, the Carthaginian army

entered the town, with the exception of a body of light horse who were

ordered to remain without and keep an eye on the doings of the late

garrison. Malchus was amused at the scene within. The members of the

Carthaginian horse disdained to join in the work of plunder, and were,

therefore, free to watch with amusement their comrades at work. The

amount of booty was large, for the number of gold ornaments found in

every house, deposited there by the inhabitants on departing, was very

great; but not satisfied with this the soldiers dug up the floors in

search of buried treasure, searched the walls for secret hiding places,

and rummaged the houses from top to bottom. Besides the rich booty, the

soldiers burdened themselves with a great variety of articles which it

would be impossible for them to carry away.

Men were seen staggering under the weight of four or five heavy skins.

Some had stuck feathers in their helmets until their heads were scarce

visible. Some had great bundles of female garments, which they had

collected with a vague idea of carrying them home to their families.

The arms had in the first place been collected and placed under a

strong guard, and picked troops were placed as sentries over the public

treasury, whose contents were allotted to the general needs of the army.

Night fell soon after the sack commenced. Malchus with a number of his

comrades took possession of one of the largest houses in the place, and,

having cleared it of the rubbish with which it was strewn, prepared

to pass the night there. Suddenly a terrible uproar was heard--shouts,

cries, the clashing of arms, the yells of the enemy, filled the air. The

cavalry charged to watch the Vacaei, believing that these had departed

quietly, had abandoned their post, and had entered the town to join in

the work of plunder.

As the garrison had marched out the men had been rigidly searched; but

the women had been allowed to pass out without any close inspection.

This carelessness cost the Carthaginians dear, for under their garments

they had hidden the swords and daggers of the men. Relying upon the

disorder which would reign in the city, the Vacaei had returned, and now

poured in through the gates, slaying all whom they met.

For a short time a terrible panic reigned among the Carthaginians, great

numbers were cut down, and it seemed as if the whole force would be

destroyed. Hannibal and his generals rode about trying to get the

scattered men to form and oppose the enemy; but the panic was too

general, and had it not been for the Carthaginian legion all would have

been lost. The horse and foot, however, of this body, having abstained

from joining in the pillage, had, for the most part, kept together in

bodies, and these now sallied out in close and regular order, and fell

upon the attacking enemy.

The streets were too narrow for cavalry to act, and Malchus and his

comrades fought on foot. The enemy, who had scattered on their work of

slaughter, were in their turn taken at a disadvantage, and were unable

to withstand the steady attack of the solid bodies. These, in the first

place, cut their way to the square in the centre of the town, and there

united. Hannibal, seeing he had now a solid body of troops under his

command, at once broke them up into parties and advanced down all the

streets leading from the central square. The hand-to-hand fight which

was going on all over the town was soon terminated. The Carthaginians

fell in in good order behind the ranks of their comrades, and the small

bodies soon became columns which swept the enemy before them.

The enemy fought desperately, firing the houses, hurling stones from the

roofs upon the columns, and throwing themselves with reckless bravery

upon the spears, but their efforts were in vain. Foot by foot they

were driven back, until they were again expelled from the town. Keeping

together, and ever showing front to the Carthaginians, the Vacaei, now

reduced to less than half their number, retired to an eminence near the

town, and there prepared to sell their lives dearly. The Carthaginians

now fell into their regular ranks, and prepared to storm the enemy's

position; but Hannibal rode forward alone towards the Vacaei, being

plainly visible to them in the broad blaze of light from the burning

city.

From his long residence in Spain he was able to speak the Iberian tongue

with fluency, and indeed could converse with all the troops of the

various nationalities under the banner of Carthage in their own

language.

"Men of Salamanca," he said, "resist no longer. Carthage knows how to

honour a brave enemy, and never did men fight more valiantly in defence

of their homes than you have done, and although further resistance would

be hopeless, I will press you no further. Your lives are spared. You may

retain the arms you know so well how to wield, and tomorrow my army will

evacuate your town and leave you free to return to it."

Hannibal's clemency was politic. He would have lost many more men before

he finally overcame the desperate band, and he was by no means desirous

of exciting a deep feeling of hate among any of the tribes, just as

he was meditating withdrawing the greater portion of the army for his

enterprise against Rome. With the fall of Salamanca the resistance of

the Vacaei ceased, and Hannibal prepared to march back to Carthagena.

A storm, however, had gathered in his rear. Great numbers of the Vacaei

had sought refuge among the Olcades, who had been subdued the previous

autumn, and together they had included the whole of the fierce tribes

known as the Carpatans, who inhabited the country on the right bank of

the upper Tagus, to make common cause with them against the invaders. As

Hannibal approached their neighbourhood they took up their position on

the right bank of the river near Toledo. Here the stream is rapid and

difficult of passage, its bed being thickly studded with great boulders

brought down in time of flood from the mountains. The country on each

side of the river is sandy, free from forests or valleys, which would

cover the movements of an army.

The host gathered to oppose the Carthaginians were fully one hundred

thousand strong, and Hannibal saw at once that his force, weakened as it

was with its loss at Salamanca, and encumbered by the great train laden

with the booty they had gathered from the Vacaei, would have no chance

whatever in a battle with so vast a body. The enemy separated as he

approached the river, their object being evidently to fall upon his rear

when engaged in the difficult operation of crossing. The Carthaginians

moved in two heavy columns, one on each side of their baggage, and

Hannibal's orders were stringent that on no account should they engage

with the enemy.

The natives swarmed around the columns, hurling darts and javelins; but

the Carthaginians moved forward in solid order, replying only with

their arrows and slings, and contenting themselves with beating off the

attacks which the bolder of their foes made upon them. Night was falling

when they arrived on the bank of the river. The enemy then desisted from

their attack, believing that in the morning the Carthaginians would be

at their mercy, encumbered by their vast booty on one side and cut off

from retreat by a well nigh impassable river on the other.

As soon as the army reached the river Hannibal caused the tents of all

the officers to be erected. The baggage wagons were arranged in order,

and the cattle unharnessed. The troops began to throw up intrenchments,

and all seemed to show that the Carthaginians were determined to fight

till the last on the ground they held. It was still light enough for the