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Geronium, and then encamped upon a spur of the hills.

Hannibal, aware that Fabius had left, hoped to be able to tempt the

impatient Minucius to an action. He accordingly drew nearer to the

Romans and encamped upon a hill three miles from their position.

Another hill lay about halfway between the two armies. Hannibal occupied

this during the night with two thousand of his light troops, but

next day Minucius attacked the position, drove off its defenders, and

encamped there with his whole army. For some days Hannibal kept his

force united in his intrenchments, feeling sure that Minucius would

attack him. The latter, however, strictly obeyed the orders of Fabius

and remained inactive.

It was all important to the Carthaginians to collect an ample supply of

food before winter set in, and Hannibal, finding that the Romans would

not attack him, was compelled to resume foraging expeditions. Two-thirds

of the army were despatched in various directions in strong bodies,

while the rest remained to guard the intrenchment.

This was the opportunity for which Minucius had been waiting. He at once

despatched the whole of his cavalry to attack the foraging parties,

and with his infantry he advanced to the attack of the weakly defended

Carthaginian camp. For a time Hannibal had the greatest difficulty in

resisting the assault of the Romans; but at last a body of four thousand

of the foragers, who had beaten off the Roman cavalry and made their way

into Geronium, came out to his support, and the Romans retired.

Hannibal, seeing the energy which Minucius had displayed, fell back to

his old camp near Geronium, and Minucius at once occupied the position

which he had vacated. The partial success of Minucius enabled the party

in Rome who had long been discontented with the waiting tactics of

Fabius to make a fresh attack upon his policy, and Minucius was now

raised to an equal rank with Fabius.

Minucius, elated with his elevation, proposed to Fabius either that

they should command the whole army on alternate days, or each should

permanently command one-half. Fabius chose the latter alternative, for

he felt certain that the impetuosity of his colleague would sooner or

later get him into trouble with such an adversary as Hannibal, and

that it was better to risk the destruction of half the army than of the

whole.

Minucius withdrew the troops allotted to him, and encamped in the plains

at a distance of a mile and a half from Fabius. Hannibal resolved at

once to take advantage of the change, and to tempt the Romans to attack

him by occupying a hill which lay about halfway between the camp of

Minucius and Geronium.

The plain which surrounded the hill was level and destitute of wood, but

Hannibal on a careful examination found that there were several hollows

in which troops could be concealed, and in these during the night he

posted five thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry. The position

occupied by them was such that they would be able to take the Romans in

flank and rear should they advance against the hill. Having made these

dispositions he sent forward a body of light troops in the morning

to occupy the hill. Minucius immediately despatched his light troops,

supported by cavalry, to drive them from it. Hannibal reinforced his

Carthaginians by small bodies of troops, and the fight was obstinately

maintained until Minucius, whose blood was now up, marched towards the

hill with his legions in order of battle.

Hannibal on his side advanced with the remains of his troops, and the

battle became fierce and general, until Hannibal gave the signal to

his troops in ambush, who rushed out and charged the Romans in rear and

flank. Their destruction would have been as complete and terrible as

that which had befallen the army of Sempronius at the Trebia, had not

Fabius moved forward with his troops to save the broken legions of

Minucius.

Fabius now offered battle, but Hannibal, well content with the heavy

blow which he had struck, and the great loss which he had inflicted upon

the command of Minucius, fell back to his camp. Minucius acknowledged

that Fabius had saved his army from total destruction, and at once

resigned his command into his hands, and reverted to his former position

under him. Both armies then went into winter quarters.

Malchus had not been present at the fighting near Geronium. Two days

after Hannibal broke through the Roman positions round the plains of

Campania he intrusted Malchus with an important commission. Commanding

the bodyguard of the general, and being closely related to him, Malchus

was greatly in Hannibal's confidence, and was indeed on the same footing

with Mago, Hannibal's brother, and two or three other of his most

trusted generals. Gathered in the general's tent on the previous

evening, these had agreed with their leader that final success could not

be looked for in their enterprise unless reinforcements were received

from Carthage.

It was now a year since they had emerged from the Alps on to the plains

of Northern Italy. They had annihilated two Roman armies, had marched

almost unopposed through some of the richest provinces of Italy, and yet

they were no nearer the great object of their enterprise than they were

when they crossed the Alps.

Some of the Cisalpine Gauls had joined them, but even in the plains

north of the Apennines the majority of the tribes had remained firm to

their alliance with the Romans, while south of that range of mountains

the inhabitants had in every case shown themselves bitterly hostile.

Everywhere on the approach of the Carthaginians they had retired

to their walled towns, which Hannibal had neither the time nor the

necessary machines to besiege.

Although Rome had lost two armies she had already equipped and placed in

the field a third force superior in number to that of the Carthaginians;

her army in Spain had not been drawn upon; her legion north of the

Apennines was operating against the revolted tribes; other legions were

in course of being raised and equipped, and Rome would take the field

in the spring with an army greatly superior in strength to that of

Carthage. Victorious as Hannibal had been in battle, the army which had

struggled through the Alps had in the year which had elapsed, greatly

diminished in numbers. Trebia and Trasimene had both lessened their

strength, but their losses had been much heavier in the terrible

march across the Apennines in the spring, and by fevers subsequently

contracted from the pestiferous malaria of the marshes in the summer.

In point of numbers the gaps had been filled up by the contingents

furnished by their Gaulish allies. But the loss of all the elephants,

of a great number of the cavalry, and of the Carthaginian troops, who

formed the backbone of the army, was not to be replaced.

"Malchus," Hannibal said, "you know what we were speaking of

yesterday evening. It is absolutely necessary that we should receive

reinforcements. If Carthage aids me I regard victory as certain. Two

or three campaigns like the last would alike break down the strength of

Rome, and will detach her allies from her.

"The Latins and the other Italian tribes, when they find that Rome is

powerless to protect them, that their flocks and herds, their crops and

possessions are at our mercy, will at length become weary of supporting

her cause, and will cast in their lot with us; but if the strife is to

be continued, Carthage must make an effort--must rouse herself from the

lethargy in which she appears to be sunk. It is impossible for me to

leave the army, nor can I well spare Mago. The cavalry are devoted to

him, and losing him would be like losing my right hand; yet it is clear

that someone must go to Carthage who can speak in my name, and can

represent the true situation here.

"Will you undertake the mission? It is one of great danger. In the first

place you will have to make your way by sea to Greece, and thence take

ship for Carthage. When you arrive there you will be bitterly opposed by

Hanno and his faction, who are now all powerful, and it may be that your

mission may cost you your life; for not only do these men hate me and

all connected with me, but, like most demagogues, they place their

own selfish aims and ends, the advantage of their own faction, and the

furtherance of their own schemes far above the general welfare of the

state, the loss of all the colonies of Carthage, and the destruction

of her imperial power. The loss of national prestige and honour are to

these men as nothing in comparison with the question whether they can

retain their places and emoluments as rulers of Carthage.

"Rome is divided as we are, her patricians and plebeians are ever

bitterly opposed to each other; but at present patriotism rises above

party, and both sink their disputes when the national cause is at

stake. The time will doubtless come--that is, unless we cut her course

short--that as Rome increases in wealth and in luxury she will suffer

from the like evils that are destroying Carthage. Party exigencies will

rise above patriotic considerations, and Rome will fall to pieces unless

she finds some man strong and vigourous enough to grasp the whole power

of the state, to silence the chattering of the politicians, and to rule

her with a rod of iron. But I am wandering from my subject. Will you

undertake this mission?"

"I will," Malchus replied firmly, "if you think me worthy of it. I

have no eloquence as a speaker, and know nothing of the arts of the

politician."

"There will be plenty of our friends there who will be able to harangue

the multitude," Hannibal replied. "It is your presence there as the

representative of the army, as my kinsman, and as the son of the general

who did such good service to the state that will profit our cause.

"It is your mission to tell Carthage that now is her time or never; that

Rome already totters from the blows I have struck her, and that another

blow only is requisite to stretch her in the dust. A mighty effort is

needed to overthrow once for all our great rival.

"Sacrifices will be needed, and great ones, to obtain the object, but

Rome once fallen the future of Carthage is secure. What is needed is

that Carthage should obtain and keep the command of the sea for two

years, that at least twenty-five thousand men should be sent over in the

spring, and as many in the spring following. With such reinforcements I

will undertake to destroy absolutely the power of Rome. Tomorrow I will

furnish you with letters to our friends at home, giving full details as

to the course they should pursue and particulars of our needs.

"A party of horse shall accompany you to the coast, with a score of men

used to navigation. There you will seize a ship and sail for Corinth,

whence you will have no difficulty in obtaining passage to Carthage."

After nightfall the next day Malchus started, taking Nessus with him as

his attendant and companion. The party travelled all night, and in the

morning the long line of the sea was visible from the summits of the

hills they were crossing. They waited for some hours to rest and refresh

their horses, and then, continuing their journey, came down in the

afternoon upon a little port at the mouth of the river Biferno. So

unexpected was their approach that the inhabitants had not time to shut

their gates, and the troops entered the town without resistance, the

people all flying to their houses.

Malchus at once proclaimed that the Carthaginians came as friends, and

would, if, unmolested, injure no one; but if any armed attempt was made

against them they would sack and destroy the town. Two or three vessels

were lying in the port; Malchus took possession of the largest, and,

putting his party of seamen on board her, ordered the crew to sail

for Corinth. The horsemen were to remain in the town until the vessel

returned, when, with the party on board her, they would at once rejoin

Hannibal.

The wind was favourable, and the next morning the mountains of Greece

were in sight, and in the afternoon they entered the port of Corinth.

The anchor was dropped at a short distance from the shore, the small

boat was lowered, and Malchus, accompanied by Nessus, was rowed ashore

by two of his own men. These then returned on board the ship, which at

once weighed anchor and set sail on her return.

Corinth was a large and busy port, and the arrival and departure of

the little vessel from Italy passed altogether unnoticed, and without

attracting any particular attention Malchus and his companion made their

way along the wharves. The trade of Corinth was large and flourishing,

and the scene reminded Malchus of that with which he was so familiar

in Carthage. Ships of many nationalities were ranged along the quays.

Galleys from Tyre and Cyprus, from Syria and Egypt, from Carthage and

Italy, were all assembled in this neutral port.

Corinth was, like Carthage, essentially a trading community; and while

the power and glory of the rival cities of the Peloponnesus were rapidly

failing Corinth was rising in rank, and was now the first city of

Greece. Malchus had no difficulty in finding a Carthaginian trading

ship. He was amply supplied with money, and soon struck a bargain that

the captain should, without waiting to take in further cargo, at once

sail for Carthage.

The captain was much surprised at the appearance in Corinth of a young

Carthaginian evidently of high rank, but he was too well satisfied at

the bargain he had made to ask any questions. An hour later the mooring

ropes were cast off, and the vessel, spreading her sails, started on her

voyage. The weather was warm and pleasant, and Malchus, stretched on a

couch spread on the poop, greatly enjoyed the rest and quiet, after the

long months which had been spent in almost incessant activity. Upon the

following day Nessus approached him.

"My lord Malchus," he said, "there are some on board the ship who know

you. I have overheard the men talking together, and it seems that one

of them recognized you as having been in the habit of going out with a