salammbo-第78部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



she　would　fain　have　seen　in　Narr'　Havas's　person　a　reflection；　as　it

were；　of　that　malice　which　still　dazzled　her。　She　desired　to　know　him

better；　and　yet　his　presence　would　have　embarrassed　her。　She　sent　him

word　that　she　could　not　receive　him。



Moreover；　Hamilcar　had　forbidden　his　people　to　admit　the　King　of　the

Numidians　to　see　her；　by　putting　off　his　reward　to　the　end　of　the　war

he　hoped　to　retain　his　devotion；and；　through　dread　of　the　Suffet；

Narr'　Havas　withdrew。



But　he　bore　himself　haughtily　towards　the　Hundred。　He　changed　their

arrangements。　He　demanded　privileges　for　his　men；　and　placed　them　on

important　posts；　thus　the　Barbarians　stared　when　they　perceived

Numidians　on　the　towers。



The　surprise　of　the　Carthaginians　was　greater　still　when　three　hundred

of　their　own　people；　who　had　been　made　prisoners　during　the　Sicilian

war；　arrived　on　board　an　old　Punic　trireme。　Hamilcar；　in　fact；　had

secretly　sent　back　to　the　Quirites　the　crews　of　the　Latin　vessels；

taken　before　the　defection　of　the　Tyrian　towns；　and；　to　reciprocate

the　courtesy；　Rome　was　now　sending　him　back　her　captives。　She　scorned

the　overtures　of　the　Mercenaries　in　Sardinian；　and　would　not　even

recognise　the　inhabitants　of　Utica　as　subjects。



Hiero；　who　was　ruling　at　Syracuse；　was　carried　away　by　this　example。

For　the　preservation　of　his　own　States　it　was　necessary　that　an

equilibrium　should　exist　between　the　two　peoples；　he　was　interested；

therefore；　in　the　safety　of　the　Chanaanites；　and　he　declared　himself

their　friend；　and　sent　them　twelve　hundred　oxen；　with　fifty…three

thousand　nebels　of　pure　wheat。



A　deeper　reason　prompted　aid　to　Carthage。　It　was　felt　that　if　the

Mercenaries　triumphed；　every　one；　from　soldier　to　plate…washer；　would

rise；　and　that　no　government　and　no　house　could　resist　them。



Meanwhile　Hamilcar　was　scouring　the　eastern　districts。　He　drove　back

the　Gauls；　and　all　the　Barbarians　found　that　they　were　themselves　in

something　like　a　state　of　siege。



Then　he　set　himself　to　harass　them。　He　would　arrive　and　then　retire；

and　by　constantly　renewing　this　manoeuvre；　he　gradually　detached　them

from　their　encampments。　Spendius　was　obliged　to　follow　them；　and　in

the　end　Matho　yielded　in　like　manner。



He　did　not　pass　beyond　Tunis。　He　shut　himself　up　within　its　walls。

This　persistence　was　full　of　wisdom；　for　soon　Narr'　Havas　was　to　be

seen　issuing　from　the　gate　of　Khamon　with　his　elephants　and　soldiers。

Hamilcar　was　recalling　him；　but　the　other　Barbarians　were　already

wandering　about　in　the　provinces　in　pursuit　of　the　Suffet。



The　latter　had　received　three　thousand　Gauls　from　Clypea。　He　had

horses　brought　to　him　from　Cyrenaica；　and　armour　from　Brutium；　and

began　the　war　again。



Never　had　his　genius　been　so　impetuous　and　fertile。　For　five　moons　he

dragged　his　enemies　after　him。　He　had　an　end　to　which　he　wished　to

guide　them。



The　Barbarians　had　at　first　tried　to　encompass　him　with　small

detachments；　but　he　always　escaped　them。　They　ceased　to　separate　then。

Their　army　amounted　to　about　forty　thousand　men；　and　several　times

they　enjoyed　the　sight　of　seeing　the　Carthaginians　fall　back。



The　horsemen　of　Narr'　Havas　were　what　they　found　most　tormenting。

Often；　at　times　of　the　greatest　weariness；　when　they　were　advancing

over　the　plains；　and　dozing　beneath　the　weight　of　their　arms；　a　great

line　of　dust　would　suddenly　rise　on　the　horizon；　there　would　be　a

galloping　up　to　them；　and　a　rain　of　darts　would　pour　from　the　bosom　of

a　cloud　filled　with　flaming　eyes。　The　Numidians　in　their　white　cloaks

would　utter　loud　shouts；　raise　their　arms；　press　their　rearing

stallions　with　their　knees；　and；　wheeling　them　round　abruptly；　would

then　disappear。　They　had　always　supplies　of　javelins　and　dromedaries

some　distance　off；　and　they　would　return　more　terrible　than　before；

howl　like　wolves；　and　take　to　flight　like　vultures。　The　Barbarians

posted　at　the　extremities　of　the　files　fell　one　by　one；　and　this　would

continue　until　evening；　when　an　attempt　would　be　made　to　enter　the

mountains。



Although　they　were　perilous　for　elephants；　Hamilcar　made　his　way　in

among　them。　He　followed　the　long　chain　which　extends　from　the

promontory　of　Hermaeum　to　the　top　of　Zagouan。　This；　they　believed；　was

a　device　for　hiding　the　insufficiency　of　his　troops。　But　the　continual

uncertainty　in　which　he　kept　them　exasperated　them　at　last　more　than

any　defeat。　They　did　not　lose　heart；　and　marched　after　him。



At　last　one　evening　they　surprised　a　body　of　velites　amid　some　big

rocks　at　the　entrance　of　a　pass　between　the　Silver　Mountain　and　the

Lead　Mountain；　the　entire　army　was　certainly　in　front　of　them；　for　a

noise　of　footsteps　and　clarions　could　be　heard；　the　Carthaginians

immediately　fled　through　the　gorge。　It　descended　into　a　plain；　and　was

shaped　like　an　iron　hatchet　with　a　surrounding　of　lofty　cliffs。　The

Barbarians　dashed　into　it　in　order　to　overtake　the　velites；　quite　at

the　bottom　other　Carthaginians　were　running　tumultuously　amid

galloping　oxen。　A　man　in　a　red　cloak　was　to　be　seen；　it　was　the

Suffet；　they　shouted　this　to　one　another；　and　they　were　carried　away

with　increased　fury　and　joy。　Several；　from　laziness　or　prudence；　had

remained　on　the　threshold　of　the　pass。　But　some　cavalry；　debouching

from　a　wood；　beat　them　down　upon　the　rest　with　blows　of　pike　and

sabre；　and　soon　all　the　Barbarians　were　below　in　the　plain。



Then　this　great　human　mass；　after　swaying　to　and　fro　for　some　time；

stood　still；　they　could　discover　no　outlet。



Those　who　were　nearest　to　the　pass　went　back　again；　but　the　passage

had　entirely　disappeared。　They　hailed　those　in　front　to　make　them　go

on；　they　were　being　crushed　against　the　mountain；　and　from　a　distance

they　inveighed　against　their　companions；　who　were　unable　to　find　the

route　again。



In　fact　the　Barbarians　had　scarcely　descended　when　men　who　had　been

crouching　behind　the　rocks　raised　the　latter　with　beams　and　overthrew

them；　and　as　the　slope　was　steep　the　huge　blocks　had　rolled　down　pell…

mell　and　completely　stopped　up　the　narrow　opening。



At　the　other　extremity　of　the　plain　stretched　a　long　passage；　split　in

gaps　here　and　there；　and　leading　to　a　ravine　which　ascended　to　the

upper　plateau；　where　the　Punic　army　was　stationed。　Ladders　had　been

placed　beforehand　in　this　passage　against　the　wall　of　cliff；　and；

protected　by　the　windings　of　the　gaps；　the　velites　were　able　to　seize

and　mount　them　before　being　overtaken。　Several　even　made　their　way　to

the　bottom　of　the　ravine；　they　were　drawn　up　with　cables；　for　the

ground　at　this　spot　was　of　moving　sand；　and　so　much　inclined　that　it

was　impossible　to　climb　it　even　on　the　knees。　The　Barbarians　arrived

almost　immediately。　But　a　portcullis；　forty　cubits　high；　and　made　to

fit　the　intervening　space　exactly；　suddenly　sank　before　them　like　a

rampart　fallen　from　the　skies。



The　Suffet's　combinations　had　therefore　succeeded。　None　of　the

Mercenaries　knew　the　mo