登陆注册
15401800000097

第97章

THE PASS OF THE HATCHET

The Carthaginians had not re-entered their houses when the clouds accumulated more thickly; those who raised their heads towards the colossus could feel big drops on their foreheads, and the rain fell.

It fell the whole night plentifully, in floods; the thunder growled;it was the voice of Moloch; he had vanquished Tanith; and she, being now fecundated, opened up her vast bosom in heaven's heights.

Sometimes she could be seen in a clear and luminous spot stretched upon cushions of cloud; and then the darkness would close in again as though she were still too weary and wished to sleep again; the Carthaginians, all believing that water is brought forth by the moon, shouted to make her travail easy.

The rain beat upon the terraces and overflowed them, forming lakes in the courts, cascades on the staircases, and eddies at the corners of the streets.It poured in warm heavy masses and urgent streams; big frothy jets leaped from the corners of all the buildings; and it seemed as though whitish cloths hung dimly upon the walls, and the washed temple-roofs shone black in the gleam of the lightning.

Torrents descended from the Acropolis by a thousand paths; houses suddenly gave way, and small beams, plaster, rubbish, and furniture passed along in streams which ran impetuously over the pavement.

Amphoras, flagons, and canvases had been placed out of doors; but the torches were extinguished; brands were taken from the funeral-pile of the Baal, and the Carthaginians bent back their necks and opened their mouths to drink.Others by the side of the miry pools, plunged their arms into them up to the armpits, and filled themselves so abundantly with water that they vomited it forth like buffaloes.The freshness gradually spread; they breathed in the damp air with play of limb, and in the happiness of their intoxication boundless hope soon arose.All their miseries were forgotten.Their country was born anew.

They felt the need, as it were, of directing upon others the extravagant fury which they had been unable to employ against themselves.Such a sacrifice could not be in vain; although they felt no remorse they found themselves carried away by the frenzy which results from complicity in irreparable crimes.

The Barbarians had encountered the storm in their ill-closed tents;and they were still quite chilled on the morrow as they tramped through the mud in search of their stores and weapons, which were spoiled and lost.

Hamilcar went himself to see Hanno, and, in virtue of his plenary powers, intrusted the command to him.The old Suffet hesitated for a few minutes between his animosity and his appetite for authority, but he accepted nevertheless.

Hamilcar next took out a galley armed with a catapult at each end.He placed it in the gulf in front of the raft; then he embarked his stoutest troops on board such vessels as were available.He was apparently taking to flight; and running northward before the wind he disappeared into the mist.

But three days afterwards, when the attack was about to begin again, some people arrived tumultuously from the Libyan coast.Barca had come among them.He had carried off provisions everywhere, and he was spreading through the country.

Then the Barbarians were indignant as though he were betraying them.

Those who were most weary of the siege, and especially the Gauls, did not hesitate to leave the walls in order to try and rejoin him.

Spendius wanted to reconstruct the helepolis; Matho had traced an imaginary line from his tent to Megara, and inwardly swore to follow it, and none of their men stirred.But the rest, under the command of Autaritus, went off, abandoning the western part of the rampart, and so profound was the carelessness exhibited that no one even thought of replacing them.

Narr' Havas spied them from afar in the mountains.During the night he led all his men along the sea-shore on the outer side of the Lagoon, and entered Carthage.

He presented himself as a saviour with six thousand men all carrying meal under their cloaks, and forty elephants laden with forage and dried meat.The people flocked quickly around them; they gave them names.The sight of these strong animals, sacred to Baal, gave the Carthaginians even more joy than the arrival of such relief; it was a token of the tenderness of the god, a proof that he was at last about to interfere in the war to defend them.

Narr' Havas received the compliments of the Ancients.Then he ascended to Salammbo's palace.

He had not seen her again since the time when in Hamilcar's tent amid the five armies he had felt her little, cold, soft hand fastened to his own; she had left for Carthage after the betrothal.His love, which had been diverted by other ambitions, had come back to him; and now he expected to enjoy his rights, to marry her, and take her.

Salammbo did not understand how the young man could ever become her master! Although she asked Tanith every day for Matho's death, her horror of the Libyan was growing less.She vaguely felt that the hate with which he had persecuted her was something almost religious,--and 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.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 神女颜可心

    神女颜可心

    千年前,她高贵冷艳。是灵族神女,无人敢欺;却因他灰飞烟灭。千年后,她冲动蠢萌。是冥王之徒,无人能欺;却为他化成肉体凡胎。人间因她腥风血雨。她却孑然一身的消逝了一千年。轮回在现代社会的她毫无防备的回到了玄幻光年。而这样一个起初的天地间,又开始了她的做风做浪,爱恨情仇,翻天覆地......最终身在何方,情归何处
  • 缘扣

    缘扣

    “潇儿,你可知欲练《空法心经》第一步是要做什么么”“沐浴焚香静心养性最主要不能做哪怕蚊子咬你别人嘲你皆不可动丝毫也不能……”“简练些。”“打坐……”甜蜜幸福与师父和友人在一起的同时,隐藏了多少辛酸?快乐刺激与同伴寻找当年失火原因时,埋葬了多少阴谋?而我们的故事,便在这一刻展开了……
  • 咆哮学园

    咆哮学园

    世有美女,然后有色狼;色狼常有,而美女不常有。江小鱼回地球后,第一个任务便是保护两位校花级别的女学生。唉…!护花使者真是不好当,围绕在她们身边的豺狼络绎不绝,干掉一只,又来一头,前仆后继,江小鱼有点招架不住了……
  • 仙冥界主

    仙冥界主

    仙主仙逝,整个世界分崩离析,各路神仙为了争仙主之位连年征战。魔道现世,仙界处在内忧外患之境。为保护两名弟子,清风尊者把残月和幻彩蝶推下禁仙台。禁仙台禁锢仙力,谅你有无边法力也会瞬间被禁锢。清风尊者只希望残月和幻彩蝶做个普通人,远离战争。但是残月胸口有着一块玉质的胸骨注定了他不可能是凡人,残月本身就是一个阴谋,包括从禁仙台下山……
  • 魔尊的倾世冷后

    魔尊的倾世冷后

    前世,她的父母惨遭杀害,而那个杀她父母的人,竟是她最爱的男人,而且他竟然还想强暴她,她为了保住清白自杀而死!一朝穿越,她成了妖界之王的女儿,而她早已不是前世软弱无能的大小姐,而是一个心狠手辣的狡猾狐狸………他,魔界的统领者—魔尊,一袭红衣,冠绝天下,嗜血成性,冷酷无情,当他遇上了她,他们将会擦起怎样的火花~她疑惑的问道:“你真的是嗜血成性,冷酷无情的魔尊?”他敞开胸膛,戏调的说道:“需要验货么?要不我把衣服脱了给你研究研究?嗯?”狐媚儿用冷冽眼眸撇了他一眼………这就是传说中的魔尊,分明就是一无耻之徒!
  • 总裁,求放手

    总裁,求放手

    她是一名千金小姐,这个炎热的夏天,她独自来到陌生的城市里,她被人拉走了自己的行李箱,浑身上下的钱更是少的可怜,可是,祸事接连不断的到来,她万万没有想到自己竟然被绑架,她遇到了一对姐妹花,姐姐把妹妹保护的很好,妹妹根本不知道人心的险恶,一个全身上下都是冷气的姐姐,一个活泼可爱的妹妹,她们二人被家人无情的卖掉,和雪儿相遇,认识,拍卖……他是A城所有女孩子的白马王子,同样也是A城所有女孩子遥不可及的梦。他救了雪儿。她没想到自己刚刚逃出虎穴,又进了狼窝。他的冷漠,他的霸道,他的温柔……这一切的一切,只有她知道,就这样,她竟然一步步的掉进了他的陷进里面,越陷越深,直到最后,无法自拔……
  • 淮南鸿烈传

    淮南鸿烈传

    淮南王就是那个炼丹的淮南王刘安,不过炼丹是幌头,修书和造反是主业。《淮南鸿烈》(又称《淮南子》),是他组织人写的传世名著。门下客卿八千,道、法、儒各家高手云集。玩家将扮演淮南王刘安的女儿——刘陵。师从身怀异术的八公学艺,在朝堂大臣、各国王侯间一力周旋。还要提防一心想把刘陵□□成趁手兵器的腹黑美男子:淮南小山。且看刘陵能否玩转西汉武帝一朝,乱世逢生,改写团灭命运。携琴载酒,一匡天下!笔者燕策三,历史系毕业,用最严谨的历史考证,最立体的历史人物还原,做最好玩的历史游戏。欢迎考据党留言切磋。
  • 都市魔侠

    都市魔侠

    没有人一生下来就是坏人,从好人到坏人,这是一个复杂而漫长的转变。江阳,一个性格懦弱的普通学生,机缘巧合之下拜得江湖邪派高手为师,从此踏入险恶的江湖,历经种种机遇与磨难,最终成为一个心狠手辣,冷酷无情,信奉以暴制暴的绝代魔侠。上架前每天保底两更(中午十二点、晚上九点),上架后每天保底三更(早上八点,中午十二点,晚上九点),视订阅,打赏情况不定期爆发!书友交流群:49054809
  • 重生之凋零的回忆

    重生之凋零的回忆

    安琪26岁,一事无成,朋友不喜亲人不爱,尽管自己很努力,结果还是事与愿违,唯一支撑她活下去的是一个很爱很爱她的男人,上天似乎给她开了一个很大的玩笑,结婚当日爱人为救离她离开了人世,从此所有人都认为她是命煞孤星,带着所有人的谴责,回忆过往,如果在活一次绝不会是这种结果,在悲愤中结束了自己26年的生命。在次醒来发现自己回到了小时候,错开所有要走的轨道,从新过属于自己的人生
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、