salammbo-第51章

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seized　with　fury；　would　pick　up　a　stone　and　fling　it　in　their　faces。



Several；　in　fact；　carefully　kept　a　reserve　of　food　in　a　hole　in　the

grounda　few　handfuls　of　dates；　or　a　little　meal；　and　they　ate　this

during　the　night；　with　their　heads　bent　beneath　their　cloaks。　Those

who　had　swords　kept　them　naked　in　their　hands；　and　the　most　suspicious

remained　standing　with　their　backs　against　the　mountain。



They　accused　their　chiefs　and　threatened　them。　Autaritus　was　not

afraid　of　showing　himself。　With　the　Barbaric　obstinacy　which　nothing

could　discourage；　he　would　advance　twenty　times　a　day　to　the　rocks　at

the　bottom；　hoping　every　time　to　find　them　perchance　displaced；　and

swaying　his　heavy　fur…covered　shoulders；　he　reminded　his　companions　of

a　bear　coming　forth　from　its　cave　in　springtime　to　see　whether　the

snows　are　melted。



Spendius；　surrounded　by　the　Greeks；　hid　himself　in　one　of　the　gaps；　as

he　was　afraid；　he　caused　a　rumour　of　his　death　to　be　spread。



They　were　now　hideously　lean；　their　skin　was　overlaid　with　bluish

marblings。　On　the　evening　of　the　ninth　day　three　Iberians　died。



Their　frightened　companions　left　the　spot。　They　were　stripped；　and　the

white；　naked　bodies　lay　in　the　sunshine　on　the　sand。



Then　the　Garamantians　began　to　prowl　slowly　round　about　them。　They

were　men　accustomed　to　existence　in　solitude；　and　they　reverenced　no

god。　At　last　the　oldest　of　the　band　made　a　sign；　and　bending　over　the

corpses　they　cut　strips　from　them　with　their　knives；　then　squatted

upon　their　heels　and　ate。　The　rest　looked　on　from　a　distance；　they

uttered　cries　of　horror；many；　nevertheless；　being；　at　the　bottom　of

their　souls；　jealous　of　such　courage。



In　the　middle　of　the　night　some　of　these　approached；　and；　dissembling

their　eagerness；　asked　for　a　small　mouthful；　merely　to　try；　they　said。

Bolder　ones　came　up；　their　number　increased；　there　was　soon　a　crowd。

But　almost　all　of　them　let　their　hands　fall　on　feeling　the　cold　flesh

on　the　edge　of　their　lips；　others；　on　the　contrary；　devoured　it　with

delight。



That　they　might　be　led　away　by　example；　they　urged　one　another　on

mutually。　Such　as　had　at　first　refused　went　to　see　the　Garamantians；

and　returned　no　more。　They　cooked　the　pieces　on　coals　at　the　point　of

the　sword；　they　salted　them　with　dust；　and　contended　for　the　best

morsels。　When　nothing　was　left　of　the　three　corpses；　their　eyes　ranged

over　the　whole　plain　to　find　others。



But　were　they　not　in　possession　of　Carthaginianstwenty　captives

taken　in　the　last　encounter；　whom　no　one　had　noticed　up　to　the

present？　These　disappeared；　moreover；　it　was　an　act　of　vengeance。

Then；　as　they　must　live；　as　the　taste　for　this　food　had　become

developed；　and　as　they　were　dying；　they　cut　the　throats　of　the　water…

carriers；　grooms；　and　all　the　serving…men　belonging　to　the

Mercenaries。　They　killed　some　of　them　every　day。　Some　ate　much；

recovered　strength；　and　were　sad　no　more。



Soon　this　resource　failed。　Then　the　longing　was　directed　to　the

wounded　and　sick。　Since　they　could　not　recover；　it　was　as　well　to

release　them　from　their　tortures；　and；　as　soon　as　a　man　began　to

stagger；　all　exclaimed　that　he　was　now　lost；　and　ought　to　be　made　use

of　for　the　rest。　Artifices　were　employed　to　accelerate　their　death；

the　last　remnant　of　their　foul　portion　was　stolen　from　them；　they　were

trodden　on　as　though　by　inadvertence；　those　in　the　last　throes　wishing

to　make　believe　that　they　were　strong；　strove　to　stretch　out　their

arms；　to　rise；　to　laugh。　Men　who　had　swooned　came　to　themselves　at　the

touch　of　a　notched　blade　sawing　off　a　limb；and　they　still　slew；

ferociously　and　needlessly；　to　sate　their　fury。



A　mist　heavy　and　warm；　such　as　comes　in　those　regions　at　the　end　of

winter；　sank　on　the　fourteenth　day　upon　the　army。　This　change　of

temperature　brought　numerous　deaths　with　it；　and　corruption　was

developed　with　frightful　rapidity　in　the　warm　dampness　which　was　kept

in　by　the　sides　of　the　mountain。　The　drizzle　that　fell　upon　the

corpses　softened　them；　and　soon　made　the　plain　one　broad　tract　of

rottenness。　Whitish　vapours　floated　overhead；　they　pricked　the

nostrils；　penetrated　the　skin；　and　troubled　the　sight；　and　the

Barbarians　thought　that　through　the　exhalations　of　the　breath　they

could　see　the　souls　of　their　companions。　They　were　overwhelmed　with

immense　disgust。　They　wished　for　nothing　more；　they　preferred　to　die。



Two　days　afterwards　the　weather　became　fine　again；　and　hunger　seized

them　once　more。　It　seemed　to　them　that　their　stomachs　were　being

wrenched　from　them　with　tongs。　Then　they　rolled　about　in　convulsions；

flung　handfuls　of　dust　into　their　mouths；　bit　their　arms；　and　burst

into　frantic　laughter。



They　were　still　more　tormented　by　thirst；　for　they　had　not　a　drop　of

water；　the　leathern　bottles　having　been　completely　dried　up　since　the

ninth　day。　To　cheat　their　need　they　applied　their　tongues　to　the　metal

plates　on　their　waist…belts；　their　ivory　pommels；　and　the　steel　of

their　swords。　Some　former　caravan…leaders　tightened　their　waists　with

ropes。　Others　sucked　a　pebble。　They　drank　urine　cooled　in　their　brazen

helmets。



And　they　still　expected　the　army　from　Tunis！　The　length　of　time　which

it　took　in　coming　was；　according　to　their　conjectures；　an　assurance　of

its　early　arrival。　Besides；　Matho；　who　was　a　brave　fellow；　would　not

desert　them。　〃'Twill　be　to…morrow！〃　they　would　say　to　one　another；　and

then　to…morrow　would　pass。



At　the　beginning　they　had　offered　up　prayers　and　vows；　and　practised

all　kinds　of　incantations。　Just　now　their　only　feeling　to　their

divinities　was　one　of　hatred；　and　they　strove　to　revenge　themselves　by

believing　in　them　no　more。



Men　of　violent　disposition　perished　first；　the　Africans　held　out

better　than　the　Gauls。　Zarxas　lay　stretched　at　full　length　among　the

Balearians；　his　hair　over　his　arm；　inert。　Spendius　found　a　plant　with

broad　leaves　filled　abundantly　with　juice；　and　after　declaring　that　it

was　poisonous；　so　as　to　keep　off　the　rest；　he　fed　himself　upon　it。



They　were　too　weak　to　knock　down　the　flying　crows　with　stones。

Sometimes　when　a　gypaetus　was　perched　on　a　corpse；　and　had　been

mangling　it　for　a　long　time；　a　man　would　set　himself　to　crawl　towards

it　with　a　javelin　between　his　teeth。　He　would　support　himself　with　one

hand；　and　after　taking　a　good　aim；　throw　his　weapon。　The　white…

feathered　creature；　disturbed　by　the　noise；　would　desist　and　look

about　in　tranquil　fashion　like　a　cormorant　on　a　rock；　and　would　then

again　thrust　in　its　hideous；　yellow　beak；　while　the　man；　in　despair；

would　fall　flat　on　his　face　in　the　dust。　Some　succeeded　in　discovering

chameleons　and　serpents。　But　it　was　the　love　of　life　that　kept　them

alive。　They　directed　their　souls　to　this　idea　exclusively；　and　clung

to　existence　by　an　effort　of　the　will　that　prolonged　it。



The　most　stoical　kept　close　to　one　another；　seated　in　a　circle　here

and　there；　among　the　dead　in　the　middle　of　the　plain；　and　wrapped　in

their　cloaks　they　gave　themselves　up　silently　to　their　sadness。



Those　who　had　been　born　in　towns　recalled　the　resounding　streets；　the

taverns；　theatres；　baths；　and　the　barbers'　shops　where　there　are　tales

to　be　heard。　Others　could　once　more　see　country　districts　at　sunset；

when　the　yellow　corn　waves；　and　the　great　oxen　ascend　the　hills　again

with　the　ploughshares　on　their　necks。　Travellers　dreamed　of　cisterns；

hunters　of　their　forests；　veterans　of　battles；　and　in　the　somnolence

that　benumbed　them　their　thoughts　jostled　one　another　with　the

precipitancy　and　clearness　of　dreams。　Hallucinations　came　suddenly

upon　them；　they　sought　for　a　door　in　the　mountain　in　order　to　flee；

and　tried　to　pass　through　it。　Others　thought　that　they　were　sailing　in

a　storm　and　gave　orders　for　the　handling　of　a　ship；　or　else　fell　back

in　terror；　perceiving　Punic　battalions　in　the　clouds。　There　were　some

who　imagined　themselves　at　a　feast；　and　sang。



Many　through　a　strange　mania　would　repeat　the　same　word　or　continually

make　the　same　gesture。　Then　when　they　happened　to　raise　their　heads

and　look　at　one　another　they　were　choked　with　sobs　on　discovering　the

horrible　ravages　made　in　their　faces。　Some　had　ceased　to　suffer；　and

to　while　away　the　hours　told　of　the　perils　which　they　had　escaped。



Death　was　certain　and　imminent　to　all。　How　many　times　had　they　not

tried　to　open　up　a　passage！　As　to　implore　terms　from　the　conqueror；　by

what　means　could　they　do　so？　They　did　not　even　know　where　Hamilcar

was。



The　wind　was　blowing　from　the　direction　of　the　ravine。　It　made　the

sand　flow　perpetually　in　cascades　over　the　portcullis；　and　the　cloaks

and　hair　of　the　Barbarians　were　being　covered　with　it　as　though　the

earth　were　rising　upon　them　and　desirous　of　burying　them。　Nothing

stirred；　the　eternal　mountain　seemed　still　higher　to　them　every

morning。



Sometimes　flights　of　birds　darted　past　beneath　the　blue　sky　in　the

freedom　of　the　air。　The　men　closed　their　eyes　that　they　might　not　see

them。



At　first　they　felt　a　buzzing　in　their　ears；　their　nails　grew　black；

the　cold　reached　to　their　breasts；　they　lay　upon　their　sides　and

expired　without　a　cry。



On　the　nineteenth　day　two　thousand　Asiatics　were　dead；　with　fifteen

hundred　from　the　Archipelago；　eight　thousand　from　Libya；　the　youngest

of　the　Mercenaries　and　whole　tribesin　all　twenty　thousand　soldiers；

or　half　of　the　army。



Autaritus；　who　had　only　fifty　Gauls　left；　was　going　to　kill　himself　in

order　to　put　an　end　to　this　state　of　things；　when　he　thought　he　saw　a

man　on　the　top　of　the　mountain　in　front　of　him。



Owing　to　his　elevation　this　man　did　not　appear　taller　than　a　dwarf。

However；　Autaritus　recognised　a　shield　shaped　like　a　trefoil　on　his

left　arm。　〃A　Carthaginian！〃　he　exclaimed；　and　immediately　throughout

the　plain；　before　the　portcullis　and　beneath　the　rocks；　all　rose。　The

soldier　was　walking　along　the　edge　of　the　precipice；　the　Barbarians

gazed　at　him　from　below。



Spendius　picked　up　the　head　of　an　ox；　then　having　formed　a　diadem　with

two　belts；　he　fixed　it　on　the　horns　at　the　end　of　a　pole　in　token　of

pacific　intentions。　The　Carthaginian　disappeared。　They　waited。



At　last　in　the　evening　a　sword…belt　suddenly　fell　from　above　like　a

stone　loosened　from　the　cliff。　It　was　made　of　red　leather　covered　with

embroidery；　with　three　diamond　stars；　and　stamped　in　the　centre；　it

bore　the　mark　of　the　Great　Council：　a　horse　beneath　a　palm…tree。　This

was　Hamilcar's　reply；　the　safe…conduct　that　he　sent　them。



They　had　nothing　to　fear；　any　change　of　fortune　brought　with　it　the

end　of　their　woes。　They　were　moved　with　extravagant　joy；　they　embraced

one　another；　they　wept。　Spendius；　Autaritus；　and　Zarxas；　four

Italiotes；　a　Negro　and　two　Spartans　offered　themselves　as　envoys。　They

were　immediately　accepted。　They　did　not　know；　however；　by　what　means

they　should　get　away。



But　a　cracking　sounded　in