“I am indeed obliged to you, Malchus,” he said as he joined his friend after Hannibal had announced his appointment to him.  “The general told me that he had appointed me at your request.  I never even hoped that such good fortune would befall me.  Of course I knew that you would speedily obtain a command, but my people have no influence whatever.  The general says that your company are to act as scouts for the army, so there will be plenty of opportunity to distinguish ourselves.  Unfortunately I don’t see much chance of fighting at present.  The Iberian tribesmen had such a lesson last autumn that they are not likely for a long time to give us further trouble.”

“Do not make yourself uneasy on that score, Trebon,” Malchus said, “I can tell you, but let it go no further, that ere long there will be fighting enough to satisfy even the most pugnacious.”

One evening Malchus had left the club early.  Full as he was of the thoughts of the tremendous struggle which was soon to begin between the great antagonists, he wearied of the light talk of his gay comrades.  The games of chance, to which a room in the club was allotted, afforded him no pleasure; nor had he any interest in the wagering which was going on as to the merits of the horses which were to run in the races on the following day.  On leaving the club he directed his footsteps towards the top of the hill on which Carthagena stood, and there, sitting alone on one of the highest points, looked over the sea sparkling in the moonlight, the many vessels in the harbour and the lagoons stretching inland on each side of the city.

He tried to imagine the course that the army was to follow, the terrible journey through the snow covered passes of that tremendous range of mountains of which he had heard, the descent into the plains of Italy, and the first sight of Rome.  He pictured to himself the battles which would have to be fought by the way, and above all, the deadly conflict which would take place before Rome could be carried by assault, and the great rival of Carthage be humbled to the dust.  Then he pictured the return of the triumphant expedition, the shouting multitudes who would acclaim Hannibal the sole arbitrator of the destinies of Carthage, and in his heart rejoiced over the changes which would take place —­ the overthrow of the faction of Hanno, the reform of abuses, the commencement of an era of justice, freedom, and prosperity for all.

For more than three hours he sat thus, and then awoke to the fact that the night was cold and the hour late.  Drawing his bernous tightly round him he descended into the city, which was now for the most part wrapped in sleep.  He was passing through the native quarter when a door opened and several men came out.  Scarcely knowing why he did so Malchus drew back into a doorway until they had moved on ahead of him, and then followed them at some little distance.  At any other time he would have thought nothing of such an incident, but his nerves were highly strung at the moment, and his pause was dictated more by an indisposition to encounter anything which might disturb the current of his thoughts than by any other motive.