salammbo-第53章

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shouting　burst　forth；　a　long　cry　of　triumph　and　hope。　Those　who　were

marching　stopped；　the　dying　leaned　on　their　elbows　and　turned　round　to

bless　her。　All　the　Barbarians　knew　now　that　she　had　recovered　the

zaimph；　they　saw　her　or　believed　that　they　saw　her　from　a　distance；

and　other　cries；　but　those　of　rage　and　vengeance；　resounded　in　spite

of　the　plaudits　of　the　Carthaginians。　Thus　did　the　five　armies　in

tiers　upon　the　mountain　stamp　and　shriek　around　Salammbo。



Hamilcar；　who　was　unable　to　speak；　nodded　her　his　thanks。　His　eyes

were　directed　alternately　upon　the　zaimph　and　upon　her；　and　he　noticed

that　her　chainlet　was　broken。　Then　he　shivered；　being　seized　with　a

terrible　suspicion。　But　soon　recovering　his　impassibility　he　looked

sideways　at　Narr'　Havas　without　turning　his　face。



The　king　of　the　Numidians　held　himself　apart　in　a　discreet　attitude；

on　his　forehead　he　bore　a　little　of　the　dust　which　he　had　touched　when

prostrating　himself。　At　last　the　Suffet　advanced　towards　him　with　a

look　full　of　gravity。



〃As　a　reward　for　the　services　which　you　have　rendered　me；　Narr'　Havas；

I　give　you　my　daughter。　Be　my　son；〃　he　added；　〃and　defend　your

father！〃



Narr'　Havas　gave　a　great　gesture　of　surprise；　then　he　threw　himself

upon　Hamilcar's　hands　and　covered　them　with　kisses。



Salammbo；　calm　as　a　statue；　did　not　seem　to　understand。　She　blushed　a

little　as　she　cast　down　her　eyelids；　and　her　long　curved　lashes　made

shadows　upon　her　cheeks。



Hamilcar　wished　to　unite　them　immediately　in　indissoluble　betrothal。　A

lance　was　placed　in　Salammbo's　hands　and　by　her　offered　to　Narr'

Havas；　their　thumbs　were　tied　together　with　a　thong　of　ox…leather；

then　corn　was　poured　upon　their　heads；　and　the　grains　that　fell　around

them　rang　like　rebounding　hail。







CHAPTER　XII



THE　AQUEDUCT



Twelve　hours　afterwards　all　that　remained　of　the　Mercenaries　was　a

heap　of　wounded；　dead；　and　dying。



Hamilcar　had　suddenly　emerged　from　the　bottom　of　the　gorge；　and　again

descended　the　western　slope　that　looked　towards　Hippo…Zarytus；　and　the

space　being　broader　at　this　spot　he　had　taken　care　to　draw　the

Barbarians　into　it。　Narr'　Havas　had　encompassed　them　with　his　horse；

the　Suffet　meanwhile　drove　them　back　and　crushed　them。　Then；　too；　they

were　conquered　beforehand　by　the　loss　of　the　zaimph；　even　those　who

cared　nothing　about　it　had　experienced　anguish　and　something　akin　to

enfeeblement。　Hamilcar；　not　indulging　his　pride　by　holding　the　field

of　battle；　had　retired　a　little　further　off　on　the　left　to　some

heights；　from　which　he　commanded　them。



The　shape　of　the　camps　could　be　recognised　by　their　sloping　palisades。

A　long　heap　of　black　cinders　was　smoking　on　the　side　of　the　Libyans；

the　devastated　soil　showed　undulations　like　the　sea；　and　the　tents

with　their　tattered　canvas　looked　like　dim　ships　half　lost　in　the

breakers。　Cuirasses；　forks；　clarions；　pieces　of　wood；　iron　and　brass；

corn；　straw；　and　garments　were　scattered　about　among　the　corpses；　here

and　there　a　phalarica　on　the　point　of　extinction　burned　against　a　heap

of　baggage；　in　some　places　the　earth　was　hidden　with　shields；　horses'

carcasses　succeeded　one　another　like　a　series　of　hillocks；　legs；

sandals；　arms；　and　coats　of　mail　were　to　be　seen；　with　heads　held　in

their　helmets　by　the　chin…pieces　and　rolling　about　like　balls；　heads

of　hair　were　hanging　on　the　thorns；　elephants　were　lying　with　their

towers　in　pools　of　blood；　with　entrails　exposed；　and　gasping。　The　foot

trod　on　slimy　things；　and　there　were　swamps　of　mud　although　no　rain

had　fallen。



This　confusion　of　dead　bodies　covered　the　whole　mountain　from　top　to

bottom。



Those　who　survived　stirred　as　little　as　the　dead。　Squatting　in　unequal

groups　they　looked　at　one　another　scared　and　without　speaking。



The　lake　of　Hippo…Zarytus　shone　at　the　end　of　a　long　meadow　beneath

the　setting　sun。　To　the　right　an　agglomeration　of　white　houses

extended　beyond　a　girdle　of　walls；　then　the　sea　spread　out

indefinitely；　and　the　Barbarians；　with　their　chins　in　their　hands；

sighed　as　they　thought　of　their　native　lands。　A　cloud　of　grey　dust　was

falling。



The　evening　wind　blew；　then　every　breast　dilated；　and　as　the　freshness

increased；　the　vermin　might　be　seen　to　forsake　the　dead；　who　were

colder　now；　and　to　run　over　the　hot　sand。　Crows；　looking　towards　the

dying；　rested　motionless　on　the　tops　of　the　big　stones。



When　night　had　fallen　yellow…haired　dogs；　those　unclean　beasts　which

followed　the　armies；　came　quite　softly　into　the　midst　of　the

Barbarians。　At　first　they　licked　the　clots　of　blood　on　the　still　tepid

stumps；　and　soon　they　began　to　devour　the　corpses；　biting　into　the

stomachs　first　of　all。



The　fugitives　reappeared　one　by　one　like　shadows；　the　women　also

ventured　to　return；　for　there　were　still　some　of　them　left；　especially

among　the　Libyans；　in　spite　of　the　dreadful　massacre　of　them　by　the

Numidians。



Some　took　ropes'　ends　and　lighted　them　to　use　as　torches。　Others　held

crossed　pikes。　The　corpses　were　placed　upon　these　and　were　conveyed

apart。



They　were　found　lying　stretched　in　long　lines；　on　their　backs；　with

their　mouths　open；　and　their　lances　beside　them；　or　else　they　were

piled　up　pell…mell　so　that　it　was　often　necessary　to　dig　out　a　whole

heap　in　order　to　discover　those　they　were　wanting。　Then　the　torch

would　be　passed　slowly　over　their　faces。　They　had　received　complicated

wounds　from　hideous　weapons。　Greenish　strips　hung　from　their

foreheads；　they　were　cut　in　pieces；　crushed　to　the　marrow；　blue　from

strangulation；　or　broadly　cleft　by　the　elephants'　ivory。　Although　they

had　died　at　almost　the　same　time　there　existed　differences　between

their　various　states　of　corruption。　The　men　of　the　North　were　puffed

up　with　livid　swellings；　while　the　more　nervous　Africans　looked　as

though　they　had　been　smoked；　and　were　already　drying　up。　The

Mercenaries　might　be　recognised　by　the　tattooing　on　their　hands：　the

old　soldiers　of　Antiochus　displayed　a　sparrow…hawk；　those　who　had

served　in　Egypt；　the　head　of　the　cynosephalus；　those　who　had　served

with　the　princes　of　Asia；　a　hatchet；　a　pomegranate；　or　a　hammer；　those

who　had　served　in　the　Greek　republics；　the　side…view　of　a　citadel　or

the　name　of　an　archon；　and　some　were　to　be　seen　whose　arms　were

entirely　covered　with　these　multiplied　symbols；　which　mingled　with

their　scars　and　their　recent　wounds。



Four　great　funeral　piles　were　erected　for　the　men　of　Latin　race；　the

Samnites；　Etruscans；　Campanians；　and　Bruttians。



The　Greeks　dug　pits　with　the　points　of　their　swords。　The　Spartans

removed　their　red　cloaks　and　wrapped　them　round　the　dead；　the

Athenians　laid　them　out　with　their　faces　towards　the　rising　sun；　the

Cantabrians　buried　them　beneath　a　heap　of　pebbles；　the　Nasamonians

bent　them　double　with　ox…leather　thongs；　and　the　Garamantians　went　and

interred　them　on　the　shore　so　that　they　might　be　perpetually　washed　by

the　waves。　But　the　Latins　were　grieved　that　they　could　not　collect　the

ashes　in　urns；　the　Nomads　regretted　the　heat　of　the　sands　in　which

bodies　were　mummified；　and　the　Celts；　the　three　rude　stones　beneath　a

rainy　sky　at　the　end　of　an　islet…covered　gulf。



Vociferations　arose；　followed　by　the　lengthened　silence。　This　was　to

oblige　the　souls　to　return。　Then　the　shouting　was　resumed　persistently

at　regular　intervals。



They　made　excuses　to　the　dead　for　their　inability　to　honour　them　as

the　rites　prescribed：　for；　owing　to　this　deprivation；　they　would　pass

for　infinite　periods　through　all　kinds　of　chances　and　metamorphoses；

they　questioned　them　and　asked　them　what　they　desired；　others　loaded

them　with　abuse　for　having　allowed　themselves　to　be　conquered。



The　bloodless　faces　lying　back　here　and　there　on　wrecks　of　armour

showed　pale　in　the　light　of　the　great　funeral…pile；　tears　provoked

tears；　the　sobs　became　shriller；　the　recognitions　and　embracings　more

frantic。　Women　stretched　themselves　o