第 26 页

deep. Inured to fatigue and hardship, the Arabs were unaccustomed to

cold, and every day had diminished their numbers, until, as they issued

out into the plain, but twenty men of the company remained alive.

Hannibal committed his young kinsman to the care of one of the chiefs

of the Insubres. The latter caused a litter to be constructed by his

followers, and carried the young Carthaginian away to his village, which

was situated at the foot of the hills on the banks of the river Orcus.

Here he was handed over to the care of the women. The wounds and bruises

caused by falls on the rocks and ice were bathed and bandaged, then he

was placed in a small chamber and water was poured on to heated stones

until it was filled with hot steam, and Malchus began to think that

he was going to be boiled alive. After being kept for an hour in this

vapour bath, he was annointed with oil, and was rubbed until every limb

was supple, he was then placed on a couch and covered with soft skins,

and in a few more minutes was sound asleep.

It was late next day before he woke, and on rising he found himself a

new man. A breakfast of meat, fresh cheese formed from goats' milk, and

flat cakes was set before him, and, had it not been that his feet were

still completely disabled from the effects of the frostbites, he felt

that he was fit again to take his place in the ranks. The chief's wife

and daughters waited upon him. The former was a tall, majestic looking

woman. She did not belong to the Insubres, but was the daughter of a

chief who had, with a portion of his tribe, wandered down from their

native home far north of the Alps and settled in Italy.

Two of the daughters were young women of over twenty, tall and robust in

figure like their mother, the third was a girl of some fifteen years of

age. The girls took after their German mother, and Malchus wondered at

the fairness of their skins, the clearness of their complexion, and the

soft light brown of their hair, for they were as much fairer than the

Gauls as these were fairer than the Carthaginians. Malchus was able to

hold little converse with his hosts, whose language differed much from

that of the Transalpine Gauls.

His stay here was destined to be much longer than he had anticipated,

for his feet had been seriously frostbitten, and for some time it

was doubtful whether he would not lose them. Gradually, however, the

inflammation decreased, but it was six weeks after his arrival before he

was able to walk. From time to time messengers had arrived from Hannibal

and his father to inquire after him, and from them he learned that the

Carthaginians had captured the towns of Vercella, Valentinum, and

Asta, and the less important towns of Ivrea, Chivasso, Bodenkmag, and

Carbantia.

By the time he was cured he was able to talk freely with his hosts, for

he soon mastered the points of difference between their language and

that of the Gauls, with which he was already acquainted. The chief, with

the greater part of his followers, now started and joined the army of

Hannibal, which laid siege to the town of Turin, whose inhabitants were

in alliance with Rome. It was strongly fortified. Hannibal erected an

intrenchment at a distance of sixty yards from the wall, and under cover

of this sank a well, and thence drove a wide gallery, the roof above

being supported by props.

Divided in brigades, each working six hours, the troops laboured night

and day, and in three days from its commencement the gallery was carried

under the walls. It was then driven right and left for thirty yards each

way, and was filled with wood, combustibles, and explosives. The workers

then retired and the wood was fired, the props supporting the roof were

soon burned away, the earth above fell in bringing down the walls, and

a great breach was made, through which the besiegers, drawn up in

readiness, rushed in and captured the town.

On the same day that Hannibal captured Turin, Scipio entered Piacenza.

After finding that Hannibal had escaped him on the Rhone, he had

despatched the principal part of his army, under his brother Cneius, to

Spain, their original destination, and with the rest sailed to Pisa and

landed there. Marching with all haste north he enlisted 10,000 troops

from among the inhabitants of the country, many of them having already

served in the Roman army. He then marched north to Tenneto, where he was

joined by the praetors Manlius and Attilius with over 20,000 men, with

whom he marched to Piacenza.

Hannibal, after, as usual, rousing the enthusiasm of his soldiers by

an address, marched towards Scipio. The latter, with his cavalry, had

crossed the Ticino and was within five miles of Vercella, when Hannibal,

also with his cavalry, came within sight. Scipio's front was covered

with a swarm of foot skirmishers mixed with irregular Gaulish horsemen;

the Roman cavalry and the cavalry of the Italian allies formed his main

body.

Hannibal ordered the Carthaginian horse to charge full upon the centre

of the enemy, and the Numidians to attack them on both flanks. The

Romans, in those days, little understood the use of cavalry, the troops

frequently dismounting and fighting on foot. Hannibal's soldiers were,

on the other hand, trained to fight in tactics resembling those

of modern days. No sooner was the word given to charge than the

Carthaginian horse, delighted at being at last, after all their toils

and sufferings, within striking distance of their foes, gave a mighty

shout, and setting spurs to their splendid horses flung themselves at

the enemy.

The charge of this solid mass of picked cavalry was irresistible. They

swept before them the skirmishers and Gaulish horse, and fell with fury

upon the main body, cleaving a way far into its ranks. Before the Romans

could recover from their confusion the Numidian horse burst down upon

their flanks. The charge was irresistible; large numbers of the

Romans were killed and the rest fled in panic, hotly pursued by the

Carthaginians, until they reached the shelter of the Roman infantry,

which was advancing behind them. Scipio, who had been wounded in the

fight, at once led his army back to Piacenza.

The news of this battle reached Malchus just as he was preparing to

depart. The messenger who brought it brought also a lead horse, which

Hamilcar had sent for his son's use. Resuming his armour Malchus mounted

and rode off at once, after many warm thanks to his friends, whom he

expected to see again shortly, as they, with the rest of that section

of the tribe, were about to join the chief--the Gaulish women frequently

accompanying their husbands in their campaigns.

Malchus was delighted to rejoin the army, from which he had now been

separated more than two months. He saw with pleasure that they had now

completely recovered from the effects of their hardships, and presented

as proud and martial an appearance as when they had started from

Carthagena.

The issue of their first fight with the Romans had raised their spirits

and confidence, and all were eager to enter upon the campaign which

awaited them. Malchus, upon his arrival, was appointed to the command of

the company of Gauls who formed the bodyguard of the general. Hannibal

moved up the Po and prepared to cross that river at Gambio, two days'

easy march above its junction with the Ticino. The army was accompanied

by a considerable number of the Insubres. The work of constructing a

bridge was at once commenced.

Malchus, riding through the camp, came upon the tents of his late host,

who had been joined that day by his family. To them Malchus did the

honours of the camp, took them through the lines of the Carthaginian

cavalry, showed them the elephants, and finally conducted them to

Hannibal, who received them most kindly, and presented them with many

presents in token of his thanks for their care of his kinsman. The next

day the bridge was completed and the troops began to pass over, the

natives crowding to the banks and even venturing on the bridge to

witness the imposing procession of the troops.

Malchus remained with Hannibal in the rear, but seeing that there was a

delay as the elephants crossed, he was ordered to ride on to the bridge

and see what was the matter. Finding the crowd too great to enable him

to pass on horseback, Malchus gave his horse to a soldier and pressed

forward on foot. When he reached the head of the column of elephants he

found that one of the leading animals, entertaining a doubt as to the

stability of the bridge at this point, obstinately refused to move

further. Ordering the mahout to urge the animal forward, and telling

some soldiers to prick the beast with a spear from behind, Malchus

entered into conversation with the wife and daughters of the Insubrian

chief, who had received from Hannibal a special order allowing them to

take up their position on the bridge to witness their crossing.

While he was speaking to them the elephant suddenly wheeled round

and, trumpeting loudly, tried to force his way back. A scene of wild

confusion ensued. The crowd gave way before him, several soldiers were

thrust off the bridge into the river, and Malchus and his companions

were borne along by the crowd; there was a little cry, and Malchus saw

the youngest of the girls pushed off the bridge into the river.

He flung off his helmet, unbuckled the fastenings of his breast plate

and back piece, undid the belt of his sword, and leaped in. As he rose

to the surface he heard a merry laugh beside him, and saw the girl

swimming quietly close by. Although mortified at having so hastily

assumed that she was unable to take care of herself he joined in her

laugh, and swam by her side until they reached the bank some distance

down. Encumbered by the trappings which he still retained, Malchus had

far more difficulty than the girl in gaining the shore.

"What, did you think," she asked, laughing as he struggled up the bank,

"that I, a Gaulish maiden, could not swim?"

"I did not think anything about it," Malchus said; "I saw you pushed in

and followed without thinking at all."

Although they imperfectly understood each other's words the meaning was

clear; the girl put her hand on his shoulder and looked frankly up in

his face.

"I thank you," she said, "just the same as if you had saved my life. You

meant to do so, and it was very good of you, a great chief of this army,

to hazard your life for a Gaulish maiden. Clotilde will never forget."

By the time they reached the bridge the column had moved on. A more

docile elephant had been placed in front, and this having moved across

the doubtful portion of the bridge, the others had quickly followed.

Just as Malchus and his companion reached the end of the bridge they met

her mother and sisters coming to meet them.

There was a smile of amusement on their faces as they thanked Malchus

for his attempt at rescue, and Clotilde's sisters whispered some

laughing remarks into her ear which caused the girl to flush hotly,

and to draw her slight figure indignantly to its full height. Malchus

retired to his tent to provide himself with fresh armour and sword, for

he doubted not that those thrown aside had been carried over the bridge

in the confusion. The soldier had returned with his horse, and in a few

minutes he took his place at the head of the Gauls who were drawn up

near Hannibal's tent.

The general himself soon appeared, and mounting his horse rode forward.

Malchus followed with his command, waving an adieu to the party who

stood watching the departure, and not ill pleased that those who had

before known him only as a helpless invalid, should now see him riding

at the head of the splendid bodyguard of the great commander.

Hannibal was marching nearly due east, with the intention of forcing

Scipio to give battle south of the Po. A strong Roman fortress,

Castegglo (Clastidium), lying at the foot of the hills, should have

barred his way; but Hannibal, by the medium of one of his native allies,

bribed the Roman commander to abstain from interrupting his march. Then

he pressed forward until on the third day after crossing the Po he came

within sight of Piacenza, under whose walls the Roman army were ranged.

Scipio, after his disastrous cavalry conflict, had written to Rome

urging his inability, with the force under his command, to give

battle single handed to Hannibal, and begging that he might be at

once reinforced by the army under Sempronius, then lying at Ariminum

(Rimini). The united consular armies, he represented, should take up

their position on the river Trebia.

This river rose in the Apennines but a short distance from Genoa, and

flowed nearly due north into the Po at Piacenza. The Roman army there

would therefore effectually bar Hannibal's march into the rich plains

to the east, and would prevent him from making across the Apennines and

following the road by the coast, as they would, should he undertake such

a movement, be able to fall on his rear.

Hannibal pitched his camp on the Nure, about five miles from Piacenza,

but Scipio remained immovable in his lines waiting for the arrival of

his colleague. Hannibal's position was a difficult one. He had traversed

the Pyrenees and the Alps that he might attack Rome; but between him and

Southern Italy lay yet another barrier, the Apennines. Scipio had missed

him after he had crossed the Pyrenees, had been too late to attack him

when, exhausted and worn out, his army emerged from the Alps; but

now, united with Sempronius, he hoped to crush him at the foot of the

Apennines. Hannibal wished, if possible, to prevent a junction of the

two Roman armies, but if that could not be done he determined to fight

them together.

Scipio perceived the danger of his position; and in order to be able

the better to join Sempronius he left Piacenza under cover of night,

and took up a strong position on the banks of the Trebia. Here he

could maintain his communications direct with Rome, and, if absolutely

necessary, fall back and join his colleague advancing towards him.