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both speedily received reinforcements. Hannibal made an attempt to cross

the Apennines, but the snow lay deep among the mountains, and, unable to

effect his purpose, he fell back again to winter in the plain.

In the meantime Cneius Servilius Geminus and Caius Flaminius had been

elected consuls. Flaminius succeeded Sempronius in command of the Roman

army at Arretium, while Geminus took the command of that at Rimini.

Between these consuls, as was usually the case in Rome, a bitter

jealousy existed. Geminus was the nominee of the aristocratic party,

while Flaminius was the idol of the populace, and, as has often been

the case in war, this rivalry between two generals possessing equal

authority wrought great evil to the armies they commanded.

CHAPTER XIV: THE BATTLE OF LAKE TRASIMENE

The battle of Trebia cost Malchus the loss of his father. It was against

the portion of the force headed by Hamilcar that the Romans, who cut

their way through the circle of foes which Hannibal had thrown round

them, flung themselves. Hamilcar had in vain attempted to stem the

torrent. Surrounded by his bravest officers, he had cast himself in the

way of the Roman legion; but nothing could withstand the rush of the

heavy armed spearmen, who, knowing that all was lost, and that their

only hope was in cutting their way through the Carthaginians, pressed

forward, shoulder to shoulder, and swept aside the opposition of

their more lightly armed foes. Hamilcar and most of his officers fell,

striving to the last to stem the current.

It was a grievous blow to Malchus, when, as he was exulting in the great

victory which had been gained, the news came to him that his father had

fallen. Hamilcar was very dear to him. He had been his companion and his

friend, his guide and adviser. He had encouraged him in his aspirations,

and had from his earliest years urged him to make the sacrifices and

exertions necessary to qualify him to bear a prominent part under his

cousin Hannibal.

He had been his tutor in arms, and had striven to inspire him with the

noblest sentiments. Since they had reached Spain he had seen less of him

than before, for Hamilcar felt that it was best for his son to depend

upon himself alone. He was proud of the name which Malchus was already

winning for himself, and knew that it was better for him that his

advancement should be considered due to his own exertions and gallantry

and not to the influence of his father.

When, however, they were thrown together, their relations were

unchanged. Malchus was as affectionate, as respectful, and as eager to

listen to his father's advice, as he had been as a boy, while Hamilcar

was glad in the society of his son to forget the cares and toils of the

expedition in which they had embarked and to talk of the dear ones at

home.

It was only three days before the battle that they had rejoiced together

over the news which had reached them by a messenger from Gaul that

Thyra had married Adherbal, and had immediately set out with him for

Carthagena, where Adherbal had been offered a command by Hannibal's

brother Hasdrubal, the governor of Spain, in his absence.

Father and son had rejoiced at this for several reasons. Hanno's

faction had now gained the upper hand, and the friends of Hannibal were

subjected to persecution of all kinds. The very life of Adherbal as a

prominent member of the Barcine party had been menaced. And it was

only by embarking secretly for Spain that he had succeeded in avoiding

arrest. The property of many of Hannibal's friends had been confiscated.

Several had been put to death under one pretext or another, and although

Hamilcar did not think that Hanno's faction would venture to bring

forward any accusation against him while he was fighting the battles

of his country, he experienced a sense of relief at the knowledge that,

should the worst happen, his wife and Anna would find a refuge and

asylum with Adherbal in Spain. Hamilcar and Malchus had discussed the

matter long and seriously, and had talked, Hamilcar with sorrow, Malchus

with indignation and rage, of the state of Carthage.

"It makes one hate one's country," Malchus exclaimed passionately, "when

one hears of these things. You taught me to love Carthage, father, and

to be proud of her. How can one be proud of a country so misgoverned, so

corrupt, so base as this? Of what use are sacrifices and efforts here,

when at home they think of nothing but luxury and ease and the making of

money, when the best and bravest of the Carthaginians are disgraced and

dishonoured, and the people bow before these men whose wealth has been

gained solely by corruption and robbery? It makes one wish one had been

born a Roman."

"Did not one hope that a better time would come, Malchus, when Carthage

will emancipate herself from the rule of men like Hanno and his corrupt

friends, I should, indeed, despair of her, for even the genius of

Hannibal and the valour of his troops cannot avail alone to carry to a

successful conclusion a struggle between such a state as Carthage now is

and a vigourous, patriotic, and self-reliant people like those of Rome.

"We may win battles, but, however great the victories may be, we can

never succeed in the long run against the power of Rome unless Carthage

proves true to herself. Our army is not a large one. Rome and her Latin

allies can, if need be, put ten such in the field. If Carthage at this

crisis of her fate proves worthy of the occasion, if she by a great

effort again wins the sovereignty of the sea, and sends over armies to

support us in our struggle, we may in the end triumph. If not, glorious

as may be our success for a time, we are in the end doomed to failure,

and our failure will assuredly involve the final destruction of

Carthage.

"Rome will not be slow to profit by the lesson which Hannibal is

teaching her. His genius perceives that only by striking at Rome in

Italy could a vital blow be given to her. The Romans in turn will

perceive that only by an invasion of Africa can Carthage be humbled.

Her task will then be far easier than ours is now, for not only is Rome

fresh, strong, and vigourous, but she has had the wisdom to bind the

Latin peoples around her closely to her by bestowing upon them the

rights of citizenship, by making them feel that her cause is theirs.

"Upon the other hand, Carthage has throughout her history been paving

the way for her fall. She fights, but it is with foreign mercenaries.

She stamps under foot the people she has conquered, and while her tax

collectors grind them to the earth, and she forces them to send their

sons to fight her battles, she gives them no share in her privileges, no

voice in her councils.

"I had hoped, Malchus, that at such a moment as this faction would have

been silent at Carthage, and a feeling of patriotism would once again

have asserted itself. I find that it is not so, and my heart sinks for

my country. Were it not for my wife and family, Malchus, I would gladly

die in the coming battle."

The words recurred to Malchus as he sat in his tent by the side of his

father's body on the night after the battle of the Trebia, and a deep

bitterness mingled with his sorrow.

"Giscon was right," he exclaimed. "All means are justifiable to rid

one's country of those who are destroying her. It makes one mad to think

that while men like my father are fighting and dying for their country,

the tribunes of the democracy, who fatten on our spoils, are plotting

against them at home. Henceforth, I fight not as a Carthaginian, but as

a soldier of Hannibal, and will aid him in his endeavour to humble Rome;

not that Carthage, with her blood stained altars, her corrupt officials,

and her indolent population, may continue to exist, but that these manly

and valiant Gauls who have thrown in their lot with us may live free and

independent of the yoke of Rome. These people are rude and primitive,

but their simple virtues, their love of freedom, their readiness to die

rather than to be slaves, put the sham patriotism of Carthage to shame."

When the army went into winter quarters, and Hannibal dismissed his

Gaulish allies, with many rich presents, to their homes, Malchus

obtained leave from Hannibal to depart with Allobrigius--the chief of

the Insubrian tribe living on the Orcus--who had, with his fighting

men, accompanied Hannibal through the campaign. The chief's wife and

daughters had returned after seeing the army across the Po. Malchus

had sought the society of his late host during the campaign, had often

ridden beside him on the march, and had spent the evening in his tent

talking either of the civilization of Carthage, which seemed wonderful

indeed to the simple Gaulish chieftain, or of the campaign on which they

were engaged.

Malchus had by this time mastered the differences between the dialect

of the Cisalpine Gauls and that of those in Gaul itself and Iberia,

with which he was already acquainted. The chief was gratified by the

friendship of Hannibal's kinsman, and liked the frank simplicity of his

manner. He had laughed loudly when his wife had told him how Malchus had

leaped from the bridge to save the life of Clotilde when she fell into

the river. But the act had proved that Malchus was grateful for the

kindness which had been shown him, and had cemented the friendship

between them. Therefore, when the campaign came to a close, he had

offered a hearty invitation to Malchus to spend the time, until the

army should again assemble, with him in his village on the banks of the

Orcus. Hannibal had smiled when Malchus had asked for leave of absence.

"Those daughters of the chief whom you presented to me on the day when

we crossed the Po are the fairest I have seen in Gaul. Malchus, are you

thinking of keeping up the traditions of our family? My father wedded

all my sisters, as you know, to native princes in Africa, and I took an

Iberian maiden as my wife. It would be in every way politic and to be

desired that one so nearly related to me as yourself should form an

alliance by marriage with one of these Gaulish chiefs."

Malchus laughed somewhat confusedly.

"It will be time to talk about marriage some years hence, Hannibal; I am

scarce twenty yet, and she is but a girl."

"Oh! there is a she in the case," Hannibal laughed; "and my arrow drawn

at a venture has struck home. Ah! yes, there were three of them, two

tall and stately maidens and one still a slim and unformed girl. Indeed,

I remember now having heard that you lost your armour and helmet in

jumping off the bridge across the Po to fish out one of the daughters

of Allobrigius, who turned out to be able to swim much better than you

could. I had a hearty laugh over it with your poor father, but with the

Romans at Piacenza and a great battle before us the matter passed from

my mind. So that is how the wind lies. Well, as you say, you are both

young, and there is no saying what the next two or three years may bring

forth. However, bear in mind that such an alliance would please me much,

and remember also that the Gaulish maidens marry young, and in times

like ours, Malchus, it is never well to delay long."

Malchus took with him Nessus, who had, from the day when they escaped

together from Scipio's camp, been always near his person, had carried

his helmet on the line of march, slept next to him by the campfire, and

fought by his side in battle, ready at any moment to give his life to

avert harm from his leader.

The return of Allobrigius and his tribesmen was celebrated by great

rejoicings on the Orcus. The women and old men and boys met them some

miles from the village, raising loud cries of welcome and triumph

as they returned from their successful campaign against their former

oppressors. Among no people were family ties held more precious than

among the Gauls, and the rough military order which the tribesmen had

preserved upon their march was at once broken up when the two parties

met.

Wives rushed into the arms of husbands, mothers embraced their sons,

girls hung on the necks of their fathers and brothers. There was nothing

to mar the joy of the meeting, for messengers had from time to time

carried news from the army to the village, and the women who had lost

those dearest to them in the campaign remained behind in the village, so

that their mourning should not mar the brightness of the return of the

tribe.

Brunilda, the wife of the chief, stood with her daughters a little

apart from the crowd on a rising knoll of ground, and the chief, who

was mounted upon a horse taken from the Romans at the Trebia, spurred

forward towards them, while Malchus hung behind to let the first

greeting pass over before he joined the family circle. He had, however,

been noticed, and Clotilde's cheeks were colouring hotly when her father

rode up, from some laughing remark from her sisters. Brunilda received

Malchus cordially, saying that she had often heard of him in the

messages sent by her husband.

"He has come to stop the winter with us," Allobrigius said. "I promised

him a warm welcome, and he needs rest and quiet, as do we all, for it

has been hard work even to seasoned men like us. What with snow and rain

I have scarcely been dry since I left you."

"That would not matter to the young Carthaginian lord," the eldest girl

said with a smile; "we know that he rather likes getting wet, don't we,

Clotilde?" she said, turning to her sister, who was, contrary to her

usual custom, standing shyly behind her.

"I am afraid I shall never hear the last of that," Malchus laughed; "I

can only say that I meant well."

"Of course you did," Allobrigius said; "you could not know that our

Gaulish maidens could swim and march, and, if necessary, fight as

stoutly as the men. The Romans before now have learned that, in

the absence of the men from the camp, the women of Gaul can fight

desperately for country, and home, and honour. Do not let yourself be