salammbo-第68节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


meet　them。



Clad　in　vast　black　robes；　with　a　tuft　of　hair　on　the　top　of　the　skull；

and　a　shield　of　rhinoceros　leather；　they　wielded　a　steel　which　had　no

handle；　and　which　they　held　by　a　rope；　and　their　camels；　which

bristled　all　over　with　feathers；　uttered　long；　hoarse　cluckings。　Each

blade　fell　on　a　precise　spot；　then　rose　again　with　a　smart　stroke

carrying　off　a　limb　with　it。　The　fierce　beasts　galloped　through　the

syntagmata。　Some；　whose　legs　were　broken；　went　hopping　along　like

wounded　ostriches。



The　Punic　infantry　turned　in　a　body　upon　the　Barbarians；　and　cut　them

off。　Their　maniples　wheeled　about　at　intervals　from　one　another。　The

more　brilliant　Carthaginian　weapons　encircled　them　like　golden　crowns；

there　was　a　swarming　movement　in　the　centre；　and　the　sun；　striking

down　upon　the　points　of　the　swords；　made　them　glitter　with　white

flickering　gleams。　However；　files　of　Clinabarians　lay　stretched　upon

the　plain；　some　Mercenaries　snatched　away　their　armour；　clothed

themselves　in　it；　and　then　returned　to　the　fray。　The　deluded

Carthaginians　were　several　times　entangled　in　their　midst。　They　would

stand　stupidly　motionless；　or　else　would　back；　surge　again；　and

triumphant　shouts　rising　in　the　distance　seemed　to　drive　them　along

like　derelicts　in　a　storm。　Hamilcar　was　growing　desperate；　all　was

about　to　perish　beneath　the　genius　of　Matho　and　the　invincible　courage

of　the　Mercenaries。



But　a　great　noise　of　tabourines　burst　forth　on　the　horizon。　It　was　a

crowd　of　old　men；　sick　persons；　children　of　fifteen　years　of　age；　and

even　women；　who；　being　unable　to　withstand　their　distress　any　longer；

had　set　out　from　Carthage；　and；　for　the　purpose　of　placing　themselves

under　the　protection　of　something　formidable；　had　taken　from

Hamilcar's　palace　the　only　elephant　that　the　Republic　now　possessed；

that　one；　namely；　whose　trunk　had　been　cut　off。



Then　it　seemed　to　the　Carthaginians　that　their　country；　forsaking　its

walls；　was　coming　to　command　them　to　die　for　her。　They　were　seized

with　increased　fury；　and　the　Numidians　carried　away　all　the　rest。



The　Barbarians　had　set　themselves　with　their　backs　to　a　hillock　in　the

centre　of　the　plain。　They　had　no　chance　of　conquering；　or　even　of

surviving；　but　they　were　the　best；　the　most　intrepid；　and　the

strongest。



The　people　from　Carthage　began　to　throw　spits；　larding…pins　and

hammers；　over　the　heads　of　the　Numidians；　those　whom　consuls　had

feared　died　beneath　sticks　hurled　by　women；　the　Punic　populace　was

exterminating　the　Mercenaries。



The　latter　had　taken　refuge　on　the　top　of　the　hill。　Their　circle

closed　up　after　every　fresh　breach；　twice　it　descended　to　be

immediately　repulsed　with　a　shock；　and　the　Carthaginians　stretched

forth　their　arms　pell…mell；　thrusting　their　pikes　between　the　legs　of

their　companions；　and　raking　at　random　before　them。　They　slipped　in

the　blood；　the　steep　slope　of　the　ground　made　the　corpses　roll　to　the

bottom。　The　elephant；　which　was　trying　to　climb　the　hillock；　was　up　to

its　belly；　it　seemed　to　be　crawling　over　them　with　delight；　and　its

shortened　trunk；　which　was　broad　at　the　extremity；　rose　from　time　to

time　like　an　enormous　leech。



Then　all　paused。　The　Carthaginians　ground　their　teeth　as　they　gazed　at

the　hill；　where　the　Barbarians　were　standing。



At　last　they　dashed　at　them　abruptly；　and　the　fight　began　again。　The

Mercenaries　would　often　let　them　approach；　shouting　to　them　that　they

wished　to　surrender；　then；　with　frightful　sneers；　they　would　kill

themselves　at　a　blow；　and　as　the　dead　fell；　the　rest　would　mount　upon

them　to　defend　themselves。　It　was　a　kind　of　pyramid；　which　grew　larger

by　degrees。



Soon　there　were　only　fifty；　then　only　twenty；　only　three；　and　lastly

only　twoa　Samnite　armed　with　an　axe；　and　Matho　who　still　had　his

sword。



The　Samnite　with　bent　hams　swept　his　axe　alternately　to　the　right　and

left；　at　the　same　time　warning　Matho　of　the　blows　that　were　being

aimed　at　him。　〃Master；　this　way！　that　way！　stoop　down！〃



Matho　had　lost　his　shoulder…pieces；　his　helmet；　his　cuirass；　he　was

completely　naked；　and　more　livid　than　the　dead；　with　his　hair　quite

erect；　and　two　patches　of　foam　at　the　corners　of　his　lips；and　his

sword　whirled　so　rapidly　that　it　formed　an　aureola　around　him。　A　stone

broke　it　near　the　guard；　the　Samnite　was　killed　and　the　flood　of

Carthaginians　closed　in；　they　touched　Matho。　Then　he　raised　both　his

empty　hands　towards　heaven；　closed　his　eyes；　and；　opening　out　his　arms

like　a　man　throwing　himself　from　the　summit　of　a　promontory　into　the

sea；　hurled　himself　among　the　pikes。



They　moved　away　before　him。　Several　times　he　ran　against　the

Carthaginians。　But　they　always　drew　back　and　turned　their　weapons

aside。



His　foot　struck　against　a　sword。　Matho　tried　to　seize　it。　He　felt

himself　tied　by　the　wrists　and　knees；　and　fell。



Narr'　Havas　had　been　following　him　for　some　time；　step　by　step；　with

one　of　the　large　nets　used　for　capturing　wild　beasts；　and；　taking

advantage　of　the　moment　when　he　stooped　down；　had　involved　him　in　it。



Then　he　was　fastened　on　the　elephants　with　his　four　limbs　forming　a

cross；　and　all　those　who　were　not　wounded　escorted　him；　and　rushed

with　great　tumult　towards　Carthage。



The　news　of　the　victory　had　arrived　in　some　inexplicable　way　at　the

third　hour　of　the　night；　the　clepsydra　of　Khamon　had　just　completed

the　fifth　as　they　reached　Malqua；　then　Matho　opened　his　eyes。　There

were　so　many　lights　in　the　houses　that　the　town　appeared　to　be　all　in

flames。



An　immense　clamour　reached　him　dimly；　and　lying　on　his　back　he　looked

at　the　stars。



Then　a　door　closed　and　he　was　wrapped　in　darkness。



On　the　morrow；　at　the　same　hour；　the　last　of　the　men　left　in　the　Pass

of　the　Hatchet　expired。



On　the　day　that　their　companions　had　set　out；　some　Zuaeces　who　were

returning　had　tumbled　the　rocks　down；　and　had　fed　them　for　some　time。



The　Barbarians　constantly　expected　to　see　Matho　appear；and　from

discouragement；　from　languor；　and　from　the　obstinacy　of　sick　men　who

object　to　change　their　situation；　they　would　not　leave　the　mountain；

at　last　the　provisions　were　exhausted　and　the　Zuaeces　went　away。　It

was　known　that　they　numbered　scarcely　more　than　thirteen　hundred　men；

and　there　was　no　need　to　employ　soldiers　to　put　an　end　to　them。



Wild　beasts；　especially　lions；　had　multiplied　during　the　three　years

that　the　war　had　lasted。　Narr'　Havas　had　held　a　great　battue；　and

after　tying　goats　at　intervalshad　run　upon　them　and　so　driven　them

towards　the　Pass　of　the　Hatchet；and　they　were　now　all　living　in　it

when　a　man　arrived　who　had　been　sent　by　the　Ancients　to　find　out　what

there　was　left　of　the　Barbarians。



Lions　and　corpses　were　lying　over　the　tract　of　the　plain；　and　the　dead

were　mingled　with　clothes　and　armour。　Nearly　all　had　the　face　or　an

arm　wanting；　some　appeared　to　be　still　intact；　others　were　completely

dried　up；　and　their　helmets　were　filled　with　powdery　skulls；　feet

which　had　lost　their　flesh　stood　out　straight　from　the　knemides；

skeletons　still　wore　their　cloaks；　and　bones；　cleaned　by　the　sun；　made

gleaming　spots　in　the　midst　of　the　sand。



The　lions　were　resting　with　their　breasts　against　the　ground　and　both

paws　stretched　out；　winking　their　eyelids　in　the　bright　daylight；

which　was　heightened　by　the　reflection　from　the　white　rocks。　Others

were　seated　on　their　hind…quarters　and　staring　before　them；　or　else

were　sleeping；　rolled　into　a　ball　and　half　hidden　by　their　great

manes；　they　all　looked　well　fed；　tired；　and　dull。　They　were　as

motionless　as　the　mountain　and　the　dead。　Night　was　falling；　the　sky

was　striped　with　broad　red　bands　in　the　west。



In　one　of　the　heaps；　which　in　an　irregular　fashion　embossed　the　plain；

something　rose　up　vaguer　than　a　spectre。　Then　one　of　the　lions　set

himself　in　motion；　his　monstrous　form　cutting　a　black　shadow　on　the

background　of　the　purple　sky；　and　when　he　was　quite　close　to　the　man；

he　knocked　him　down　with　a　single　blow　of　his　paw。



Then；　stretching　himself　flat　upon　him；　he　slowly　drew　out　the

entrails　with　the　edge　of　his　teeth。



Afterwards　he　opened　his　huge　jaws；　and　for　some　minutes　uttered　a

lengthened　roar　which　was　repeated　by　the　echoes　in　the　mountain；　and

was　finally　lost　in　the　solitude。



Suddenly　some　small　gravel　rolled　down　from　above。　The　rustling　of

rapid　steps　was　heard；　and　in　the　direction　of　the　portcullis　and　of

the　gorge　there　appeared　pointed　muzzles　and　straight　ears；　with

gleaming；　tawny　eyes。　These　were　the　jackals　coming　to　eat　what　was

left。



The　Carthaginian；　who　was　leaning　over　the　top　of　the　precipice　to

look；　went　back　again。







CHAPTER　XV



MATHO



There　were　rejoicings　at　Carthage；rejoicings　deep；　universal；

extravagant；　frantic；　the　holes　of　the　ruins　had　been　stopped　up；　the

statues　of　the　gods　had　been　repainted；　the　streets　were　strewn　with

myrtle　branche