were, moreover, heaped together owing to the narrowness of the gorge--

on the others, on the contrary, it was sufficient to drive against



them with violence to make them descend. The Carthaginians pushed

them, and at daybreak they projected into the plain like the steps of



an immense ruined staircase.

The Barbarians were still unable to climb them. Ladders were held out



for their assistance; all rushed upon them. The discharge of a

catapult drove the crowd back; only the Ten were taken away.



They walked amid the Clinabarians, leaning their hands on the horses'

croups for support.



Now that their first joy was over they began to harbour anxieties.

Hamilcar's demands would be cruel. But Spendius reassured them.



"I will speak!" And he boasted that he knew excellent things to say

for the safety of the army.



Behind all the bushes they met with ambushed sentries, who prostrated

themselves before the sword-belt which Spendius had placed over his



shoulder.

When they reached the Punic camp the crowd flocked around them, and



they thought that they could hear whisperings and laughter. The door

of a tent opened.



Hamilcar was at the very back of it seated on a stool beside a table

on which there shone a naked sword. He was surrounded by captains, who



were standing.

He started back on perceiving these men, and then bent over to examine



them.

Their pupils were strangely dilated, and there was a great black



circle round their eyes, which extended to the lower parts of their

ears; their bluish noses stood out between their hollow cheeks, which



were chinked with deep wrinkles; the skin of their bodies was too

large for their muscles, and was hidden beneath a slate-coloured dust;



their lips were glued to their yellow teeth; they exhaled an

infectious odour; they might have been taken for half-opened tombs,



for living sepulchres.

In the centre of the tent, on a mat on which the captains were about



to sit down, there was a dish of smoking gourds. The Barbarians

fastened their eyes upon it with a shivering in all their limbs, and



tears came to their eyelids; nevertheless they restrained themselves.

Hamilcar turned away to speak to some one. Then they all flung



themselves upon it, flat on the ground. Their faces were soaked in the

fat, and the noise of their deglutition was mingled with the sobs of



joy which they uttered. Through astonishment, doubtless, rather than

pity, they were allowed to finish the mess. Then when they had risen



Hamilcar with a sign commanded the man who bore the sword-belt to

speak. Spendius was afraid; he stammered.



Hamilcar, while listening to him, kept turning round on his finger a

big gold ring, the same which had stamped the seal of Carthage upon



the sword-belt. He let it fall to the ground; Spendius immediately

picked it up; his servile habits came back to him in the presence of



his master. The others quivered with indignation at such baseness.

But the Greek raised his voice and spoke for a long time in rapid,



insidious, and even violent fashion, setting forth the crimes of

Hanno, whom he knew to be Barca's enemy, and striving to move



Hamilcar's pity by the details of their miseries and the recollection

of their devotion; in the end he became forgetful of himself, being



carried away by the warmth of his temper.

Hamilcar replied that he accepted their excuses. Peace, then, was



about to be concluded, and now it would be a definitive one! But he

required that ten Mercenaries, chosen by himself, should be delivered



up to him without weapons or tunics.

They had not expected such clemency; Spendius exclaimed: "Ah! twenty



if you wish, master!"

"No! ten will suffice," replied Hamilcar quietly.



They were sent out of the tent to deliberate. As soon as they were

alone, Autaritus protested against the sacrifice of their companions,



and Zarxas said to Spendius:

"Why did you not kill him? his sword was there beside you!"



"Him!" said Spendius. "Him! him!" he repeated several times, as though

the thing had been impossible, and Hamilcar were an immortal.



They were so overwhelmed with weariness that they stretched themselves

on their backs on the ground, not knowing at what resolution to



arrive.

Spendius urged them to yield. At last they consented, and went in



again.

• resource [ri´zɔ:s] n.手段；智谋 (初中英语单词)


• portion [´pɔ:ʃən] n.嫁妆；命运 vt.分配 (初中英语单词)


• stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• overhead [´əuvə,hed] ad.当头 a.在头上的 (初中英语单词)


• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)


• disgust [dis´gʌst] n.厌恶 vt.令(人)作呕 (初中英语单词)


• hunger [´hʌŋgə] n.饥饿；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• thirst [θə:st] n.渴，口渴；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• hatred [´heitrid] n.憎恨，敌意 (初中英语单词)


• revenge [ri´vendʒ] vt.报复 n.报仇；报复 (初中英语单词)


• violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)


• weapon [´wepən] n.武器；斗争手段 (初中英语单词)


• thrust [θrʌst] v.&n.猛推；冲；刺；挤进 (初中英语单词)


• existence [ig´zistəns] n.存在；生存；生活 (初中英语单词)


• circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)


• silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)


• ascend [ə´send] v.登；上升；追溯 (初中英语单词)


• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)


• gesture [´dʒestʃə] n.手势 v.打手势 (初中英语单词)


• eternal [i´tə:nəl] a.永远的；永恒的 (初中英语单词)


• shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)


• incline [in´klain] v.(使)倾斜 n.斜坡 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


• descend [di´send] v.下来，下降 (初中英语单词)


• immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)


• discharge [dis´tʃɑ:dʒ] vt.&n.卸货；释放；解雇 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)


• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)


• astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)


• doubtless [´dautlis] ad.无疑地；大概，多半 (初中英语单词)


• devotion [di´vəuʃən] n.献身；忠诚；热爱 (初中英语单词)


• warmth [wɔ:mθ] n.温暖；热情；激动 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• resolution [,rezə´lu:ʃən] n.决心；坚决；果断 (初中英语单词)


• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)


• remnant [´remnənt] n.残(剩)余 a.剩余的 (高中英语单词)


• strove [strəuv] strive的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• frightful [´fraitfəl] a.可怕的；不愉快的 (高中英语单词)


• frantic [´fræntik] a.发狂的；急忙的 (高中英语单词)


• pebble [´pebəl] n.卵石 v.(用卵石)铺 (高中英语单词)


• assurance [ə´ʃuərəns] n.保证；自信；信任 (高中英语单词)


• hideous [´hidiəs] a.丑陋的，可怕的 (高中英语单词)


• implore [im´plɔ:] vt.乞求，恳求 (高中英语单词)


• conqueror [´kɔŋkərə] n.征服者，胜利者 (高中英语单词)


• elevation [,eli´veiʃən] n.高度；晋升；高尚 (高中英语单词)


• extravagant [ik´strævəgənt] a.奢侈的；过度的 (高中英语单词)


• indignation [,indig´neiʃən] n.愤慨；气愤 (高中英语单词)


• deliberate [di´libəreit] a.慎重的；故意的 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• corruption [kə´rʌpʃən] n.腐化；贪污；贿赂 (英语四级单词)


• rapidity [rə´piditi] n.迅速；险峻；陡 (英语四级单词)


• poisonous [´pɔizənəs] a.有毒的；讨厌的 (英语四级单词)


• corpse [kɔ:ps] n.尸体 (英语四级单词)


• exclusively [ik´sklu:sivli] ad.独有地；排外地 (英语四级单词)


• ravine [rə´vi:n] n.沟壑；深谷 (英语四级单词)


• desirous [di´zaiərəs] a.渴望的；想往的 (英语四级单词)


• precipice [´presipis] n.悬崖；危急的处境 (英语四级单词)


• daybreak [´deibreik] n.黎明，拂晓 (英语四级单词)


• setting [´setiŋ] n.安装；排字；布景 (英语四级单词)


• weariness [wiərinis] n.疲倦；厌烦 (英语四级单词)


• accelerate [ək´seləreit] v.加速；变快；促进 (英语六级单词)


• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)


• javelin [´dʒævəlin] n.标枪 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• tranquil [´træŋkwil] a.平静的，稳定的 (英语六级单词)


• clearness [´kliənis] n.清楚；明白；明确 (英语六级单词)


• imminent [´iminənt] a.临头的，逼近的 (英语六级单词)


• diadem [´daiədem] n.王冠 (英语六级单词)


• immovable [i´mu:vəbəl] a.不能移动的，固定的 (英语六级单词)


• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)