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enemy to perceive what was being done, and, secure of their prey in the

morning, they drew off to a short distance for the night. Hannibal had

learned from a native that morning of a ford across the river, and it

was towards this that he had been marching. As soon as it was perfectly

dark a number of men entered the river to search for the ford. This was

soon discovered.

Then the orders were passed noiselessly round to the soldiers, and

these, in regular order and in the most perfect quiet, rose to their

feet and marched down to the ford. A portion of the infantry first

passed, then the wagons were taken over, the rest of the infantry

followed, and the cavalry and the elephants brought up the rear. The

point where the river was fordable was at a sharp angle, and Hannibal

now occupied its outer side. As daylight approached he placed his

archers on the banks of the river where, owing to the sharp bend, their

arrows would take in flank an enemy crossing the ford, and would also

sweep its approaches.

The cavalry were withdrawn some distance, and were ordered not to charge

until the Spaniards had got across the river. The elephants, forty

in number, were divided into two bodies. One of these was allotted to

protect each of the bodies of infantry on the bank from attack, should

the Spaniards gain a strong footing on the left bank. When day broke

the enemy perceived that the Carthaginians had made the passage of the

river. Believing that they had been too much alarmed to risk a battle,

and were retreating hastily, the natives thronged down in a multitude to

the river without waiting for their leaders or for orders to be given,

and rushing forward, each for himself, leaped into the river.

Numbers were at once swept away by the stream, but the crowd who had

struck upon the ford pressed forward. When they were in midstream in a

tumultuous mass Hannibal launched his cavalry upon them, and a desperate

conflict ensued in the river. The combat was too unequal to last

long. The Spaniards, waist deep in the rapid stream, had difficulty

in retaining their feet, they were ignorant of the width or precise

direction of the ford, and were hampered by their own masses; the

cavalry, on the other hand, were free to use their weapons, and the

weight and impetus of their charge was alone sufficient to sweep the

Spanish from their footing into deep water.

Many were drowned, many more cut down, and the rest driven in disorder

back across the river. But fresh hordes had now arrived; Hannibal

sounded the retreat, and the cavalry retired as the Spaniards again

threw themselves into the stream. As the confused mass poured across the

ford the two divisions of infantry fell upon them, while the arrows

of the archers swept the struggling mass. Without order or discipline,

bewildered at this attack by a foe whom they had regarded as flying, the

Spaniards were driven back across the river, the Carthaginians crossing

in their rear.

The flying Iberians scattered terror among their comrades still flocking

down to the bank, and as the Carthaginian infantry in solid column fell

upon them, a panic seized the whole host and they scattered over the

plain. The Carthaginian cavalry followed close behind the infantry, and

at once dashed forward among the broken masses, until the Spanish army,

lately so confident of victory, was but a broken mass of panic stricken

fugitives.

The victory of Toledo was followed at once by the submission of the

whole of the tribes of Spain south of the Ebro, and Hannibal, having

seen that the country was everywhere pacified, marched back with his

army to Carthagena to pass the winter there (220-219 B.C.).

CHAPTER VII: A WOLF HUNT

The summer's work had been a hard one and the young soldiers of the

Carthaginian cavalry rejoiced when they marched into Carthagena again,

with the prospect of four months' rest and gaiety. When in the field

their discipline was as strict and their work as hard as that of the

other corps, but, whereas, when they went into winter quarters, the rest

of the army were placed under tents or huts, this corps d'elite were for

the time their own masters.

Two or three times a week they drilled and exercised their horses, but

with these exceptions they were free to do as they chose. Scarce one

but had relations or friends in Carthagena with whom they took up their

abode, and those who were not so fortunate found a home at the great

military club, of which, ranking as they did with the officers of other

corps, they were all members.

Hamilcar and Malchus had rooms assigned to them in the splendid mansion

of Hannibal, which was the centre of the life and gaiety of the place,

for Hannibal had, before starting on his campaign in the spring, married

Imilce, the daughter of Castalius, a Spaniard of noble blood, and his

household was kept up with a lavish magnificence, worthy alike of his

position as virtual monarch of Spain and of his vast private wealth.

Fetes were given constantly for the amusement of the people. At these

there were prizes for horse and foot racing, and the Numidian cavalry

astonished the populace by the manner in which they maneuvered their

steeds; bowmen and slingers entered the lists for prizes of value given

by the general; and the elephants exhibited proof of their docility and

training.

In the bay there were races between the galleys and triremes, and

emulation was encouraged among the troops by large money prizes to the

companies who maneuvered with the greatest precision and activity. For

the nobles there were banquets and entertainments of music. The rising

greatness of Carthagena had attracted to her musicians and artists from

all parts of the Mediterranean. Snake charmers from the far Soudan and

jugglers from the distant East exhibited their skill. Poets recited

their verses, and bards sung their lays before the wealth and beauty of

Carthagena. Hannibal, anxious at once to please his young wife and

to increase his popularity, spared no pains or expense in these

entertainments.

Gay as they were Malchus longed for a more stirring life, and with five

or six of his comrades obtained leave of absence for a month, to go on

a hunting expedition in the mountains. He had heard, when upon the

campaign, the issue of the plot in which he had been so nearly engaged.

It had failed. On the very eve of execution one of the subordinates had

turned traitor, and Giscon and the whole of those engaged in it had been

arrested and put to a cruel death.

Malchus himself had been denounced, as his name was found upon the list

of the conspirators, and an order had been sent to Hannibal that he

should be carried back a prisoner to Carthage. Hannibal had called the

lad before him, and had inquired of him the circumstances of the case.

Malchus explained that he had been to their meeting but once, being

taken there by Giscon, and being in entire ignorance of the objects of

the plot, and that he had refused when he discovered them to proceed

in the matter. Hannibal and Hamilcar blamed him severely for allowing

himself at his age to be mixed up in any way in public affairs; but they

so represented the matter to the two Carthaginian commissioners with the

army, that these had written home to say, that having inquired into the

affair they found that beyond a boyish imprudence in accompanying Giscon

to the place where the conspirators met, Malchus was not to blame in the

matter.

The narrow escape that he had had was a lesson which was not lost upon

Malchus. Hamilcar lectured him sternly, and pointed out to him that the

affairs of nations were not to be settled by the efforts of a handful of

enthusiasts, but that grievances, however great, could only be righted

when the people at large were determined that a change should be made.

"There would be neither order nor stability in affairs, Malchus, if

parties of desperate men of one party or another were ever striving for

change, for revolution would be met by counter revolution. The affairs

of nations march slowly; sudden changes are ever to be deprecated. If

every clique of men who chance to be supported by a temporary wave of

public opinion, were to introduce organic changes, there would be no

stability in affairs. Capital would be alarmed; the rich and powerful,

seeing their possessions threatened and their privileges attacked by the

action of the demagogues of the hour, would do as did our forefathers of

Tyre, when the whole of the aristocracy emigrated in a body to Carthage,

and Tyre received a blow from which she has never recovered."

For some time after this event Malchus had felt that he was in disgrace,

but his steadiness and good conduct in the campaign, and the excellent

reports which his officers gave of him, had restored him to favour; and

indeed his father and Hannibal both felt that a lad might well be led

away by an earnest enthusiast like Giscon.

The hunting party took with them a hundred Iberian soldiers used to the

mountains, together with six peasants acquainted with the country and

accustomed to the chase. They took several carts laden with tents, wine,

and provisions. Four days' journey from Carthagena took the party into

the heart of the mountains, and here, in a sheltered valley through

which ran a stream, they formed their camp.

They had good sport. Sometimes with dogs they tracked the bears to their

lair, sometimes the soldiers made a wide sweep in the hills, and, having

inclosed a considerable tract of forest, moved forward, shouting and

clashing their arms until they drove the animals inclosed down through a

valley in which Malchus and his companions had taken post.

Very various was the game which then fell before their arrows and

javelins. Sometimes a herd of deer would dart past, then two bears

with their family would come along growling fiercely as they went, and

looking back angrily at the disturbers of their peace. Sometimes a pack

of wolves, with their red tongues hanging out, and fierce, snarling

barks, would hurry along, or a wild boar would trot leisurely past,

until he reached the spot where the hunters were posted. The wolves and

deer fell harmlessly before the javelins of the Carthaginians, but the

bears and wild boars frequently showed themselves formidable opponents,

and there were several desperate fights before these yielded to the

spears and swords of the hunters.

Sometimes portions of the animals they had killed were hung up at night

from the bough of a tree at a distance from the camp, to attract the

bears, and one or two of the party, taking their post in neighbouring

trees, would watch all night for the coming of the beasts. The snow

was now lying thick on the tops of the mountains, and the wolves were

plentiful among the forests.

One day Malchus and two of his companions had followed a wounded deer

far up among the hills, and were some miles away from the camp when the

darkness began to set in.

"I think we had better give it up," Malchus said; "we shall find it

difficult as it is to find our way back; I had no idea that it was so

late."

His companions at once agreed, and they turned their faces towards the

camp. In another half hour it was perfectly dark under the shadow of the

trees, but the moon was shining, and its position afforded them a means

of judging as to the direction where the camp lay. But even with such

assistance it was no easy matter making their way. The country was rough

and broken; ravines had to be crossed, and hills ascended. After pushing

on for two hours, Halcon, the eldest of the party, said:

"I am by no means sure that we are going right after all. We have had

a long day's work now, and I do not believe we shall find the camp

tonight. I think we had better light a fire here and wrap ourselves in

our cloaks. The fire will scare wild beasts away, and we shall be easily

able to find the camp in the morning."

The proposal was at once accepted; sticks were collected, and, with

flint and steel and the aid of some dried fungus which they carried in

their pouches, a fire was soon lit, and some choice portions of a deer

which they had killed early in the day were soon broiling on sticks over

it.

"We must keep watch by turns," Halcon said; "it will not do to let

the fire burn low, for likely enough we may be visited by bears before

morning."

After eating their meal and chatting for some time, Halcon and his

companions lay down to rest, Malchus volunteering to keep the first

watch. For some time he sat quietly, occasionally throwing logs on the

fire from the store which they had collected in readiness. Presently

his attitude changed, he listened intently and rose to his feet. Several

times he had heard the howls of wolves wandering in the woods, but he

now made out a long, deep, continuous howling; he listened for a minute

or two and then aroused his companions.

"There is a large pack of wolves approaching," he said, "and by the

direction of the sound I judge they are hunting on the traces of our

footsteps. That is the line by which we came down from yonder brow, and

it seems to me that they are ascending the opposite slope."

"Yes, and by the sound there must be a very large pack of them," Halcon

agreed; "pile up the fire and set yourselves to gather more wood as

quickly as possible; these beasts in large packs are formidable foes."

The three men set to work, vigourously cutting down brushwood and

lopping off small boughs of trees with their swords.

"Divide the fire in four," Halcon said, "and pile the fuel in the

centre; they will hardly dare to pass between the fires."

The pack was now descending the slope, keeping up a chorus of howls and

short yelps which sent a shiver of uneasiness through Malchus. As the

wolves approached the spot the howling suddenly ceased.

"They see us," Halcon said; "keep a sharp lookout for them, but do not

throw away a shot, we shall need all our arrows before daylight."

Standing perfectly quiet, the friends could hear the pattering sound