salammbo-第85部分

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reed；　the　Ethiopian　beside　him　had　his　head　thrown　back　over　the　arms

of　the　cross；　Autaritus　was　motionless；　rolling　his　eyes；　his　great

head　of　hair；　caught　in　a　cleft　in　the　wood；　fell　straight　upon　his

forehead；　and　his　death…rattle　seemed　rather　to　be　a　roar　of　anger。　As

to　Spendius；　a　strange　courage　had　come　to　him；　he　despised　life　now

in　the　certainty　which　he　possessed　of　an　almost　immediate　and　an

eternal　emancipation；　and　he　awaited　death　with　impassibility。



Amid　their　swooning；　they　sometimes　started　at　the　brushing　of

feathers　passing　across　their　lips。　Large　wings　swung　shadows　around

them；　croakings　sounded　in　the　air；　and　as　Spendius's　cross　was　the

highest；　it　was　upon　his　that　the　first　vulture　alighted。　Then　he

turned　his　face　towards　Autaritus；　and　said　slowly　to　him　with　an

unaccountable　smile：



〃Do　you　remember　the　lions　on　the　road　to　Sicca？〃



〃They　were　our　brothers！〃　replied　the　Gaul；　as　he　expired。



The　Suffet；　meanwhile；　had　bored　through　the　walls　and　reached　the

citadel。　The　smoke　suddenly　disappeared　before　a　gust　of　wind；

discovering　the　horizon　as　far　as　the　walls　of　Carthage；　he　even

thought　that　he　could　distinguish　people　watching　on　the　platform　of

Eschmoun；　then；　bringing　back　his　eyes；　he　perceived　thirty　crosses　of

extravagant　size　on　the　shore　of　the　Lake；　to　the　left。



In　fact；　to　render　them　still　more　frightful；　they　had　been

constructed　with　tent…poles　fastened　end　to　end；　and　the　thirty

corpses　of　the　Ancients　appeared　high　up　in　the　sky。　They　had　what

looked　like　white　butterflies　on　their　breasts；　these　were　the

feathers　of　the　arrows　which　had　been　shot　at　them　from　below。



A　broad　gold　ribbon　shone　on　the　summit　of　the　highest；　it　hung　down

to　the　shoulder；　there　being　no　arm　on　that　side；　and　Hamilcar　had

some　difficulty　in　recognising　Hanno。　His　spongy　bones　had　given　way

under　the　iron　pins；　portions　of　his　limbs　had　come　off；　and　nothing

was　left　on　the　cross　but　shapeless　remains；　like　the　fragments　of

animals　that　are　hung　up　on　huntsmen's　doors。



The　Suffet　could　not　have　known　anything　about　it；　the　town　in　front

of　him　masked　everything　that　was　beyond　and　behind；　and　the　captains

who　had　been　successively　sent　to　the　two　generals　had　not　re…

appeared。　Then　fugitives　arrived　with　the　tale　of　the　rout；　and　the

Punic　army　halted。　This　catastrophe；　falling　upon　them　as　it　did　in

the　midst　of　their　victory；　stupefied　them。　Hamilcar's　orders　were　no

longer　listened　to。



Matho　took　advantage　of　this　to　continue　his　ravages　among　the

Numidians。



Hanno's　camp　having　been　overthrown；　he　had　returned　against　them。　The

elephants　came　out；　but　the　Mercenaries　advanced　through　the　plain

shaking　about　flaming　firebrands；　which　they　had　plucked　from　the

walls；　and　the　great　beasts；　in　fright；　ran　headlong　into　the　gulf；

where　they　killed　one　another　in　their　struggles；　or　were　drowned

beneath　the　weight　of　their　cuirasses。　Narr'　Havas　had　already

launched　his　cavalry；　all　threw　themselves　face　downwards　upon　the

ground；　then；　when　the　horses　were　within　three　paces　of　them；　they

sprang　beneath　their　bellies；　ripped　them　open　with　dagger…strokes；

and　half　the　Numidians　had　perished　when　Barca　came　up。



The　exhausted　Mercenaries　could　not　withstand　his　troops。　They　retired

in　good　order　to　the　mountain　of　the　Hot　Springs。　The　Suffet　was

prudent　enough　not　to　pursue　them。　He　directed　his　course　to　the

mouths　of　the　Macaras。



Tunis　was　his；　but　it　was　now　nothing　but　a　heap　of　smoking　rubbish。

The　ruins　fell　through　the　breaches　in　the　walls　to　the　centre　of　the

plain；　quite　in　the　background；　between　the　shores　of　the　gulf；　the

corpses　of　the　elephants　drifting　before　the　wind　conflicted；　like　an

archipelago　of　black　rocks　floating　on　the　water。



Narr'　Havas　had　drained　his　forests　of　these　animals；　taking　young　and

old；　male　and　female；　to　keep　up　the　war；　and　the　military　force　of

his　kingdom　could　not　repair　the　loss。　The　people　who　had　seen　them

perishing　at　a　distance　were　grieved　at　it；　men　lamented　in　the

streets；　calling　them　by　their　names　like　deceased　friends：　〃Ah！　the

Invincible！　the　Victory！　the　Thunderer！　the　Swallow！〃　On　the　first

day；　too；　there　was　no　talk　except　of　the　dead　citizens。　But　on　the

morrow　the　tents　of　the　Mercenaries　were　seen　on　the　mountain　of　the

Hot　Springs。　Then　so　deep　was　the　despair　that　many　people；　especially

women；　flung　themselves　headlong　from　the　top　of　the　Acropolis。



Hamilcar's　designs　were　not　known。　He　lived　alone　in　his　tent　with

none　near　him　but　a　young　boy；　and　no　one　ever　ate　with　them；　not　even

excepting　Narr'　Havas。　Nevertheless　he　showed　great　deference　to　the

latter　after　Hanno's　defeat；　but　the　king　of　the　Numidians　had　too

great　an　interest　in　becoming　his　son　not　to　distrust　him。



This　inertness　veiled　skilful　manoeuvres。　Hamilcar　seduced　the　heads

of　the　villages　by　all　sorts　of　artifices；　and　the　Mercenaries　were

hunted；　repulsed；　and　enclosed　like　wild　beasts。　As　soon　as　they

entered　a　wood；　the　trees　caught　fire　around　them；　when　they　drank　of

a　spring　it　was　poisoned；　the　caves　in　which　they　hid　in　order　to

sleep　were　walled　up。　Their　old　accomplices；　the　populations　who　had

hitherto　defended　them；　now　pursued　them；　and　they　continually

recognised　Carthaginian　armour　in　these　bands。



Many　had　their　faces　consumed　with　red　tetters；　this；　they　thought；

had　come　to　them　through　touching　Hanno。　Others　imagined　that　it　was

because　they　had　eaten　Salammbo's　fishes；　and　far　from　repenting　of

it；　they　dreamed　of　even　more　abominable　sacrileges；　so　that　the

abasement　of　the　Punic　Gods　might　be　still　greater。　They　would　fain

have　exterminated　them。



In　this　way　they　lingered　for　three　months　along　the　eastern　coast；

and　then　behind　the　mountain　of　Selloum；　and　as　far　as　the　first　sands

of　the　desert。　They　sought　for　a　place　of　refuge；　no　matter　where。

Utica　and　Hippo…Zarytus　alone　had　not　betrayed　them；　but　Hamilcar　was

encompassing　these　two　towns。　Then　they　went　northwards　at　haphazard

without　even　knowing　the　various　routes。　Their　many　miseries　had

confused　their　understandings。



The　only　feeling　left　them　was　one　of　exasperation；　which　went　on

developing；　and　one　day　they　found　themselves　again　in　the　gorges　of

Cobus　and　once　more　before　Carthage！



Then　the　actions　multiplied。　Fortune　remained　equal；　but　both　sides

were　so　wearied　that　they　would　willingly　have　exchanged　these

skirmishes　for　a　great　battle；　provided　that　it　were　really　the　last。



Matho　was　inclined　to　carry　this　proposal　himself　to　the　Suffet。　One

of　his　Libyans　devoted　himself　for　the　purpose。　All　were　convinced　as

they　saw　him　depart　that　he　would　not　return。



He　returned　the　same　evening。



Hamilcar　accepted　the　challenge。　The　encounter　should　take　place　the

following　day　at　sunrise；　in　the　plain　of　Rhades。



The　Mercenaries　wished　to　know　whether　he　had　said　anything　more；　and