salammbo-第9节

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surprised；　replied：　〃Speak！　Speak！〃



Spendius　hesitated；　he　trembled；　at　last；　addressing　the　Libyans　who

were　the　most　numerous；　he　said　to　them：



〃You　have　all　heard　this　man's　horrible　threats！〃



Hanno　made　no　exclamation；　therefore　he　did　not　understand　Libyan；

and；　to　carry　on　the　experiment；　Spendius　repeated　the　same　phrase　in

the　other　Barbarian　dialects。



They　looked　at　one　another　in　astonishment；　then；　as　by　a　tacit

agreement；　and　believing　perhaps　that　they　had　understood；　they　bent

their　heads　in　token　of　assent。



Then　Spendius　began　in　vehement　tones：



〃He　said　first　that　all　the　Gods　of　the　other　nations　were　but　dreams

besides　the　Gods　of　Carthage！　He　called　you　cowards；　thieves；　liars；

dogs；　and　the　sons　of　dogs！　But　for　you　（he　said　that！）　the　Republic

would　not　be　forced　to　pay　excessive　tribute　to　the　Romans；　and

through　your　excesses　you　have　drained　it　of　perfumes；　aromatics；

slaves；　and　silphium；　for　you　are　in　league　with　the　nomads　on　the

Cyrenian　frontier！　But　the　guilty　shall　be　punished！　He　read　the

enumeration　of　their　torments；　they　shall　be　made　to　work　at　the

paving　of　the　streets；　at　the　equipment　of　the　vessels；　at　the

adornment　of　the　Syssitia；　while　the　rest　shall　be　sent　to　scrape　the

earth　in　the　mines　in　the　country　of　the　Cantabrians。〃



Spendius　repeated　the　same　statements　to　the　Gauls；　Greeks；　Campanians

and　Balearians。　The　Mercenaries；　recognising　several　of　the　proper

names　which　had　met　their　ears；　were　convinced　that　he　was　accurately

reporting　the　Suffet's　speech。　A　few　cried　out　to　him；　〃You　lie！〃　but

their　voices　were　drowned　in　the　tumult　of　the　rest；　Spendius　added：



〃Have　you　not　seen　that　he　has　left　a　reserve　of　his　horse…soldiers

outside　the　camp？　At　a　given　signal　they　will　hasten　hither　to　slay

you　all。〃



The　Barbarians　turned　in　that　direction；　and　as　the　crowd　was　then

scattering；　there　appeared　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　advancing　with

the　slowness　of　a　phantom；　a　human　being；　bent；　lean；　entirely　naked；

and　covered　down　to　his　flanks　with　long　hair　bristling　with　dried

leaves；　dust　and　thorns。　About　his　loins　and　his　knees　he　had　wisps　of

straw　and　linen　rags；　his　soft　and　earthy　skin　hung　on　his　emaciated

limbs　like　tatters　on　dried　boughs；　his　hands　trembled　with　a

continuous　quivering；　and　as　he　walked　he　leaned　on　a　staff　of　olive…

wood。



He　reached　the　Negroes　who　were　bearing　the　torches。　His　pale　gums

were　displayed　in　a　sort　of　idiotic　titter；　his　large；　scared　eyes

gazed　upon　the　crowd　of　Barbarians　around　him。



But　uttering　a　cry　of　terror　he　threw　himself　behind　them；　shielding

himself　with　their　bodies。　〃There　they　are！　There　they　are！〃　he

stammered　out；　pointing　to　the　Suffet's　guards；　who　were　motionless　in

their　glittering　armour。　Their　horses；　dazzled　by　the　light　of　the

torches　which　crackled　in　the　darkness；　were　pawing　the　ground；　the

human　spectre　struggled　and　howled：



〃They　have　killed　them！〃



At　these　words；　which　were　screamed　in　Balearic；　some　Balearians　came

up　and　recognised　him；　without　answering　them　he　repeated：



〃Yes；　all　killed；　all！　crushed　like　grapes！　The　fine　young　men！　the

slingers！　my　companions　and　yours！〃



They　gave　him　wine　to　drink；　and　he　wept；　then　he　launched　forth　into

speech。



Spendius　could　scarcely　repress　his　joy；　as　he　explained　the　horrors

related　by　Zarxas　to　the　Greeks　and　Libyans；　he　could　not　believe

them；　so　appropriately　did　they　come　in。　The　Balearians　grew　pale　as

they　learned　how　their　companions　had　perished。



It　was　a　troop　of　three　hundred　slingers　who　had　disembarked　the

evening　before；　and　had　on　that　day　slept　too　late。　When　they　reached

the　square　of　Khamon　the　Barbarians　were　gone；　and　they　found

themselves　defenceless；　their　clay　bullets　having　been　put　on　the

camels　with　the　rest　of　the　baggage。　They　were　allowed　to　advance　into

the　street　of　Satheb　as　far　as　the　brass　sheathed　oaken　gate；　then　the

people　with　a　single　impulse　had　sprung　upon　them。



Indeed；　the　soldiers　remembered　a　great　shout；　Spendius；　who　was

flying　at　the　head　of　the　columns；　had　not　heard　it。



Then　the　corpses　were　placed　in　the　arms　of　the　Pataec　gods　that

fringed　the　temple　of　Khamon。　They　were　upbraided　with　all　the　crimes

of　the　Mercenaries；　their　gluttony；　their　thefts；　their　impiety；　their

disdain；　and　the　murder　of　the　fishes　in　Salammbo's　garden。　Their

bodies　were　subjected　to　infamous　mutilations；　the　priests　burned

their　hair　in　order　to　torture　their　souls；　they　were　hung　up　in

pieces　in　the　meat…shops；　some　even　buried　their　teeth　in　them；　and　in

the　evening　funeral…piles　were　kindled　at　the　cross…ways　to　finish

them。



These　were　the　flames　that　had　gleamed　from　a　distance　across　the

lake。　But　some　houses　having　taken　fire；　any　dead　or　dying　that

remained　were　speedily　thrown　over　the　walls；　Zarxas　had　remained

among　the　reeds　on　the　edge　of　the　lake　until　the　following　day；　then

he　had　wandered　about　through　the　country；　seeking　for　the　army　by　the

footprints　in　the　dust。　In　the　morning　he　hid　himself　in　caves；　in　the

evening　he　resumed　his　march　with　his　bleeding　wounds；　famished；　sick；

living　on　roots　and　carrion；　at　last　one　day　he　perceived　lances　on

the　horizon；　and　he　had　followed　them；　for　his　reason　was　disturbed

through　his　terrors　and　miseries。



The　indignation　of　the　soldiers；　restrained　so　long　as　he　was

speaking；　broke　forth　like　a　tempest；　they　were　going　to　massacre　the

guards　together　with　the　Suffet。　A　few　interposed；　saying　that　they

ought　to　hear　him　and　know　at　least　whether　they　should　be　paid。　Then

they　all　cried：　〃Our　money！〃　Hanno　replied　that　he　had　brought　it。



They　ran　to　the　outposts；　and　the　Suffet's　baggage　arrived　in　the

midst　of　the　tents；　pressed　forward　by　the　Barbarians。　Without　waiting

for　the　slaves；　they　very　quickly　unfastened　the　baskets；　in　them　they

found　hyacinth　robes；　sponges；　scrapers；　brushes；　perfumes；　and

antimony　pencils　for　painting　the　eyesall　belonging　to　the　guards；

who　were　rich　men　and　accustomed　to　such　refinements。　Next　they

uncovered　a　large　bronze　tub　on　a　camel：　it　belonged　to　the　Suffet　who

had　it　for　bathing　in　during　his　journey；　for　he　had　taken　all　manner

of　precautions；　even　going　so　far　as　to　bring　caged　weasels　from

Hecatompylos；　which　were　burnt　alive　to　make　his　ptisan。　But；　as　his

malady　gave　him　a　great　appetite；　there　were　also　many　comestibles　and

many　wines；　pickle；　meats　and　fishes　preserved　in　honey；　with　little

pots　of　Commagene；　or　melted　goose…fat　covered　with　snow　and　chopped

straw。　There　was　a　considerable　supply　of　it；　the　more　they　opened　the

baskets　the　more　they　found；　and　laughter　arose　like　conflicting

waves。



As　to　the　pay　of　the　Mercenaries　it　nearly　filled　two　esparto…grass

baskets；　there　were　even　visible　in　one　of　them　some　of　the　leathern

discs　which　the　Republic　used　to　economise　its　specie；　and　as　the

Barbarians　appeared　greatly　surprised；　Hanno　told　them　that；　their

accounts　being　very　difficult；　the　Ancients　had　not　had　leisure　to

examine　them。　Meanwhile　they　had　sent　them　this。



Then　everything　was　in　disorder　and　confusion：　mules；　serving　men；

litter；　provisions；　and　baggage。　The　soldiers　took　the　coin　in　the

bags　to　stone　Hanno。　With　great　difficulty　he　was　able　to　mount　an

ass；　and　he　fled；　clinging　to　its　hair；　howling；　weeping；　shaken；

bruised；　and　calling　down　the　curse　of　all　the　gods　upon　the　army。　His

broad　necklace　of　precious　stones　rebounded　up　to　his　ears。　His　cloak

which　was　too　long；　and　which　trailed　behind　him；　he　kept　on　with　his

teeth；　and　from　afar　the　Barbarians　shouted　at　him；　〃Begone　coward！

pig！　sink　of　Moloch！　sweat　your　gold　and　your　plague！　quicker！

quicker！〃　The　routed　escort　galloped　beside　him。



But　the　fury　of　the　Barbarians　did　not　abate。　They　remembered　that

several　of　them　who　had　set　out　for　Carthage　had　not　returned；　no

doubt　they　had　been　killed。　So　much　injustice　exasperated　them；　and

they　began　to　pull　up　the　stakes　of　their　tents；　to　roll　up　their

cloaks；　and　to　bridle　their　horses；　every　one　took　his　helmet　and

sword；　and　instantly　all　was　ready。　Those　who　had　no　arms　rushed　into

the　woods　to　cut　staves。



Day　dawned；　the　people　of　Sicca　were　roused；　and　stirring　in　the

streets。　〃They　are　going　to　Carthage；〃　said　they；　and　the　rumour　of

this　soon　spread　through　the　country。



From　every　path　and　every　ravine　men　arose。　Shepherds　were　seen

running　down　from　the　mountains。



Then；　when　the　Barbarians　had　set　out；　Spendius　circled　the　plain；

riding　on　a　Punic　stallion；　and　attended　by　his　slave；　who　led　a　third

horse。



A　single　tent　remained。　Spendius　entered　it。



〃Up；　master！　rise！　we　are　departing！〃



〃And　where　are　you　going？〃　asked　Matho。



〃To　Carthage！〃　cried　Spendius。



Matho　bounded　upon　the　horse　which　the　slave　held　at　the　door。







CHAPTER　III



SALAM