第 5 页

nations round her who now groaned under her yoke, ground down to the

dust by the enormous tribute necessitated by the extravagance of the

administration of the state, the corruption and wholesale peculation of

its officials.

Hamilcar Barca had been the founder of the party; in his absence at the

seat of war it had been led at Carthage by his son-in-law Hasdrubal,

whose fiery energy and stirring eloquence had rendered him a popular

idol in Carthage. But even the genius of Hamilcar and the eloquence of

Hasdrubal would not have sufficed to enable the Barcine party to make

head against the enormous power of the council and the judges, backed by

the wealth of Hanno and his associates, had it not been for the military

successes which flattered the patriotic feelings of the populace.

The loss of Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily had been atoned for by the

conquest of the greater portion of Spain by Hamilcar, and that general

might eventually have carried out his plans for the purification of the

government of Carthage had he not fallen in a battle with the Iberians.

This loss was a terrible blow to the Barcine faction, but the deep

feeling of regret among the population at the death of their great

general enabled them to carry the election of Hasdrubal to be one of the

suffetes in his place, and to obtain for him the command of the army in

Spain.

There was the less difficulty in the latter appointment, since Hanno's

party were well content that the popular leader should be far removed

from the capital. Hasdrubal proved himself a worthy successor of his

father-in-law. He carried out the policy inaugurated by the latter,

won many brilliant victories over the Iberians, fortified and firmly

established Carthagena as a port and city which seemed destined to rival

the greatness of its mother city, and Carthage saw with delight a great

western settlement growing in power which promised to counterbalance the

influence of the ever spreading territory of her great rival in Italy.

After seeing his detachment safely lodged in the barracks Hamilcar and

his companions rode along the streets to the Barcine Syssite, or club,

one of the grandest buildings in Carthage. Throwing the reins of their

horses to some slaves who stood in readiness at the foot of the steps,

they entered the building. As they rode through the streets they had

noticed that the population appeared singularly quiet and dejected,

and the agitation which reigned in the club showed them that something

unusual had happened. Groups of men were standing talking excitedly

in the great hall. Others with dejected mien were pacing the marble

pavement. As Hamilcar entered, several persons hurried up to him.

"Welcome back again!" they exclaimed; "your presence is most opportune

at this sad moment."

"What has happened?" Hamilcar asked; "I have but this moment arrived,

and rode straight here to hear the news of what has taken place in my

absence."

"What! have you not heard?" they exclaimed; "for the last four days

nothing else has been talked of, nothing else thought of--Hasdrubal has

been assassinated!"

Hamilcar recoiled a step as if struck.

"Ye gods!" he exclaimed, "can this be so? Hasdrubal the handsome, as

he was well called, the true patriot, the great general, the eloquent

orator, the soul of generosity and patriotism, our leader and hope,

dead! Surely it cannot be."

"It is too true, Hamilcar. Hasdrubal is dead--slain by the knife of an

Iberian, who, it seems, has for months been in his service, awaiting

the chance for revenge for some injuries which his family or people have

suffered from our arms.

"It is a terrible blow. This morning a swift sailing ship has arrived

with the news that the army of Spain have with one voice acclaimed the

young Hannibal as their general, and that they demand the ratification

of their choice by the senate and people. Need I tell you how important

it is that this ratification should be gained? Hanno and his satellites

are furious, they are scattering money broadcast, and moving heaven and

earth to prevent the choice falling upon Hannibal, and to secure the

appointment for Hanno himself or one of his clique. They say that to

appoint a youth like this to such a position would be a thing unheard

of, that it would bring countless dangers upon the head of the

republic. We know, of course, that what they fear is not the youth and

inexperience, but the talent and genius of Hannibal.

"Young though he is, his wonderful abilities are recognized by us all.

His father, Hamilcar, had the very highest hopes of him, Hasdrubal has

written again and again saying that in his young kinsman he recognized

his superior, and that in loftiness of aim, in unselfish patriotism, in

clearness of judgment, in the marvellous ascendency he has gained over

the troops, in his talent in administration, and in the greatness of his

military conceptions, he saw in him a genius of the highest order. If

it be in man to overthrow the rising greatness of Rome, to reform our

disordered administration, to raise Carthage again to the climax of her

glory and power, that man is Hannibal.

"Thus, then, on him our hopes rest. If we can secure for him the command

of the army in Spain, he may do all and more than all that Hamilcar

and Hasdrubal have done for us. If we fail, we are lost; Hanno will

be supreme, the official party will triumph, man by man we shall be

denounced and, destroyed by the judges, and, worse than all, our hopes

of saving Carthage from the corruption and tyranny which have so long

been pressing her into the dust are at an end. It is a good omen of

success that you have returned from your expedition at such a critical

moment. All has gone well with you, I hope. You know the fate that

awaits an unsuccessful general here."

"Ay, I know," Hamilcar said bitterly; "to be judged by a secret tribunal

of civilians, ignorant of even the rudimentary laws of war, and bent

not upon arriving at the truth, but of gratifying their patrons and

accomplices; the end, disgrace and execution.

"No, my success has been complete, although not brilliant. I have

obtained the complete submission of the Atarantes, and have brought with

me ten of their principal chiefs as hostages; but my success narrowly

escaped being not only a failure but a disaster. I had in vain striven

to come to blows with them, when suddenly they fell upon me at night,

and in the desperate combat which followed, well nigh half my force

fell; but in the end we inflicted a terrible chastisement upon them and

completely humbled their pride."

"So long as you succeeded in humbling them and bringing home hostages

for their good behaviour, all is well; the lives of a few score of

soldiers, more or less, matters little to Carthage. We have but to send

out an order to the tribes and we can replace them a hundred fold in a

week; `tis only a failure which would be fatal. Carthage has suffered

such terrible disasters at the hands of her tributaries that she

trembles at the slightest rising, for its success might be the signal

for another general insurrection. If you have humbled the Atarantes, all

is well.

"I know the council have been anxiously expecting news of your

expedition. Our opinion here has been from the first that, from the

small force they placed at your command, they purposely sent you to

disaster, risking the chance of extended trouble in order to obtain

a ground of complaint by which they could inflame the minds of the

populace against our party. But now, I recommend you to take some

refreshment at once after your journey. The inner council of the club

will meet in an hour, and their deliberations are likely to be long as

well as important, for the whole future of our party, and of Carthage

itself, depends upon the issue."

"Malchus," Hamilcar said, "do you mount your horse and ride out at

once and tell your mother that all has gone well with us, but that I

am detained here on important business, and may not return until

nightfall."

"May I come back here, father, after I see my mother? I would fain be of

some use, if I may. I am known to many of the sailors down at the

port; I might go about among them trying to stir them up in favour of

Hannibal."

"You may come back if you like, Malchus; your sailors may aid us with

their voices, or, should it come to anything like a popular disturbance,

by their arms. But, as you know, in the voting the common people

count for nothing, it is the citizens only who elect, the traders,

shopkeepers, and employers of labour. Common people count for no more

than the slaves, save when it comes to a popular tumult, and they

frighten the shopkeeping class into voting in accordance with their

views. However, we will leave no stone unturned that may conduce to

our success. Do not hurry away from home, my boy, for your mother would

think it unkind after three months' absence. Our council is likely to

last for some hours; when it is at an end I will look for you here and

tell you what has been determined upon."

Malchus mounted his horse and rode out through the narrow streets of the

lower city, through the gateway leading into the suburb, then he loosed

the rein and the horse started at a gallop along the broad road, lined

with stately mansions, and in a quarter of an hour stopped in front of

the villa of Hamilcar.

Throwing his bridle to a slave he ran up the broad steps of the portico

and entered the hall. His mother, a stately woman, clad in a long

flowing garment of rich material embroidered in gold, arms and neck

bare, her hair bound up in a knot at the back of her head, which was

encircled by a golden fillet, with pendants of the same metal encrusted

with gems falling on her forehead, rose eagerly to meet him, and his two

sisters, girls older than himself, clad in white robes, confined at the

waist with golden belts, leaped to their feet with a cry of gladness.

"Welcome back, my own son," his mother said; "all is well, I hope, with

your father; It is so, I am sure, for I should read evil news in your

face."

"He is well, mother, well and victorious, though we had a rare fight

for it, I can tell you. But he is kept at the Barcine Syssite on matters

connected with this terrible business of the death of Hasdrubal. He bade

me give you his love, and say he would be back here as soon as he could

get away."

"It is terrible news indeed, Malchus. The loss is a grievous blow to

Carthage, but especially to us who are his near kinsfolk; but for the

moment let us set it aside and talk of your doings. How the sun has

bronzed your face, child! You seem to have grown taller and stouter

since you have been away.

"Yes," one of the sisters laughed, "the child is growing up, mother; you

will have to choose another name for him."

"I think it is about time," Malchus said, joining in the laugh,

"considering that I have killed a lion and have taken part in a

desperate hand-to-hand fight with the wild Atarantes. I think even my

mother must own that I am attaining the dignity of youth."

"I wonder your father let you take part in such strife," the mother said

anxiously; "he promised me that he would, as far as possible, keep you

out of danger."

"Why, mother," Malchus said indignantly, "you don't suppose that my

father was going to coddle me as he might do one of the girls here. You

know he has promised that I shall soon enter the Carthaginian guard, and

fight in the next campaign. I think it has been very hard on me not to

have had a chance of distinguishing myself as my cousin Hannibal did

when he was no older than I am."

"Poor boy," his sister laughed, "he has indeed been unfortunate. Who

can say but that if he had only had opportunities he would have been

a general by this time, and that Rome would have been trembling at the

clash of his armour."

Malchus joined heartily in the laugh about himself.

"I shall never grow to be a general," he said, "unless you get me some

food; it is past midday, and I have not broken my fast this morning. I

warn you that I shall not tell you a word of our adventures until I have

eaten, therefore the sooner you order a meal to be served the better."

The meal was speedily served, and then for an hour Malchus sat with his

mother and sisters, giving them a history of the expedition. There was

a little playful grumbling on the part of his sisters when he told

them that he was going to return to the Syssite to hear what had been

determined by the conclave.

"Surely you can wait until our father returns here, Malchus," Thyra, the

elder, said.

"Yes; but I may be useful," Malchus replied. "There will be lots to be

done, and we shall all do our utmost."

"Listen to him, mother," Anna, the younger sister, said, clapping her

hands; "this comes of slaying lions and combating with the Atarantes; do

not let us hinder him; beg the slaves to bring round a horse instantly.

Carthage totters, let Malchus fly to its support. What part are you

thinking of taking, my brother, do you mean to harangue the people, or

to urge the galley slaves to revolt, or to lead the troops against the

council?"

The two girls burst into a peal of merry laughter, in which Malchus,

although colouring a little, joined heartily.

"You are too bad, Anna; what I want is, of course, to hear what has been

done, and to join in the excitement, and really I am not such a boy as

you girls think me, just because you happen to be two or three years

older than I am. You persist in regarding me as a child; father doesn't

do so, and I can tell you I may be more good than you think."

"Well, go along, Malchus, do not let us keep you, and don't get into

mischief and remember, my boy," his mother added, "that Carthage is a