salammbo-第57章

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and　Marmarica。　They　had　crossed　the　desert；　drinking　at　the　brackish

wells　walled　in　with　camels'　bones；　the　Zuaeces；　with　their　covering

of　ostrich　feathers；　had　come　on　quadrigae；　the　Garamantians；　masked

with　black　veils；　rode　behind　on　their　painted　mares；　others　were

mounted　on　asses；　onagers；　zebras；　and　buffaloes；　while　some　dragged

after　them　the　roofs　of　their　sloop…shaped　huts　together　with　their

families　and　idols。　There　were　Ammonians　with　limbs　wrinkled　by　the

hot　water　of　the　springs；　Atarantians；　who　curse　the　sun；　Troglodytes；

who　bury　their　dead　with　laughter　beneath　branches　of　trees；　and　the

hideous　Auseans；　who　eat　grass…hoppers；　the　Achyrmachidae；　who　eat

lice；　and　the　vermilion…painted　Gysantians；　who　eat　apes。



All　were　ranged　along　the　edge　of　the　sea　in　a　great　straight　line。

Afterwards　they　advanced　like　tornadoes　of　sand　raised　by　the　wind。　In

the　centre　of　the　isthmus　the　throng　stopped；　the　Mercenaries　who　were

posted　in　front　of　them；　close　to　the　walls；　being　unwilling　to　move。



Then　from　the　direction　of　Ariana　appeared　the　men　of　the　West；　the

people　of　the　Numidians。　In　fact；　Narr'　Havas　governed　only　the

Massylians；　and；　moreover；　as　they　were　permitted　by　custom　to　abandon

their　king　when　reverses　were　sustained；　they　had　assembled　on　the

Zainus；　and　then　had　crossed　it　at　Hamilcar's　first　movement。　First

were　seen　running　up　all　the　hunters　from　Malethut…Baal　and　Garaphos；

clad　in　lions'　skins；　and　with　the　staves　of　their　pikes　driving　small

lean　horses　with　long　manes；　then　marched　the　Gaetulians　in　cuirasses

of　serpents'　skin；　then　the　Pharusians；　wearing　lofty　crowns　made　of

wax　and　resin；　and　the　Caunians；　Macarians；　and　Tillabarians；　each

holding　two　javelins　and　a　round　shield　of　hippopotamus　leather。　They

stopped　at　the　foot　of　the　Catacombs　among　the　first　pools　of　the

Lagoon。



But　when　the　Libyans　had　moved　away；　the　multitude　of　the　Negroes

appeared　like　a　cloud　on　a　level　with　the　ground；　in　the　place　which

the　others　had　occupied。　They　were　there　from　the　White　Harousch；　the

Black　Harousch；　the　desert　of　Augila；　and　even　from　the　great　country

of　Agazymba；　which　is　four　months'　journey　south　of　the　Garamantians；

and　from　regions　further　still！　In　spite　of　their　red　wooden　jewels；

the　filth　of　their　black　skin　made　them　look　like　mulberries　that　had

been　long　rolling　in　the　dust。　They　had　bark…thread　drawers；　dried…

grass　tunics；　fallow…deer　muzzles　on　their　heads；　they　shook　rods

furnished　with　rings；　and　brandished　cows'　tails　at　the　end　of　sticks；

after　the　fashion　of　standards；　howling　the　while　like　wolves。



Then　behind　the　Numidians；　Marusians；　and　Gaetulians　pressed　the

yellowish　men；　who　are　spread　through　the　cedar　forests　beyond　Taggir。

They　had　cat…skin　quivers　flapping　against　their　shoulders；　and　they

led　in　leashes　enormous　dogs；　which　were　as　high　as　asses；　and　did　not

bark。



Finally；　as　though　Africa　had　not　been　sufficiently　emptied；　and　it

had　been　necessary　to　seek　further　fury　in　the　very　dregs　of　the

races；　men　might　be　seen　behind　the　rest；　with　beast…like　profiles　and

grinning　with　idiotic　laughterwretches　ravaged　by　hideous　diseases；

deformed　pigmies；　mulattoes　of　doubtful　sex；　albinos　whose　red　eyes

blinked　in　the　sun；　stammering　out　unintelligible　sounds；　they　put　a

finger　into　their　mouths　to　show　that　they　were　hungry。



The　confusion　of　weapons　was　as　great　as　that　of　garments　and　peoples。

There　was　not　a　deadly　invention　that　was　not　presentfrom　wooden

daggers；　stone　hatchets　and　ivory　tridents；　to　long　sabres　toothed

like　saws；　slender；　and　formed　of　a　yielding　copper　blade。　They

handled　cutlasses　which　were　forked　into　several　branches　like

antelopes'　horns；　bills　fastened　to　the　ends　of　ropes；　iron　triangles；

clubs　and　bodkins。　The　Ethiopians　from　the　Bambotus　had　little

poisoned　darts　hidden　in　their　hair。　Many　had　brought　pebbles　in　bags。

Others；　empty　handed；　chattered　with　their　teeth。



This　multitude　was　stirred　with　a　ceaseless　swell。　Dromedaries；

smeared　all　over　with　tar…like　streaks；　knocked　down　the　women；　who

carried　their　children　on　their　hips。　The　provisions　in　the　baskets

were　pouring　out；　in　walking；　pieces　of　salt；　parcels　of　gum；　rotten

dates；　and　gourou　nuts　were　crushed　underfoot；　and　sometimes　on

vermin…covered　bosoms　there　would　hang　a　slender　cord　supporting　a

diamond　that　the　Satraps　had　sought；　an　almost　fabulous　stone；

sufficient　to　purchase　an　empire。　Most　of　them　did　not　even　know　what

they　desired。　They　were　impelled　by　fascination　or　curiosity；　and

nomads　who　had　never　seen　a　town　were　frightened　by　the　shadows　of　the

walls。



The　isthmus　was　now　hidden　by　men；　and　this　long　surface；　whereon　the

tents　were　like　huts　amid　an　inundation；　stretched　as　far　as　the　first

lines　of　the　other　Barbarians；　which　were　streaming　with　steel　and

were　posted　symmetrically　upon　both　sides　of　the　aqueduct。



The　Carthaginians　had　not　recovered　from　the　terror　caused　by　their

arrival　when　they　perceived　the　siege…engines　sent　by　the　Tyrian　towns

coming　straight　towards　them　like　monsters　and　like　buildingswith

their　masts；　arms；　ropes；　articulations；　capitals　and　carapaces；　sixty

carroballistas；　eighty　onagers；　thirty　scorpions；　fifty　tollenos；

twelve　rams；　and　three　gigantic　catapults　which　hurled　pieces　of　rock

of　the　weight　of　fifteen　talents。　Masses　of　men　clinging　to　their

bases　pushed　them　on；　at　every　step　a　quivering　shook　them；　and　in

this　way　they　arrived　in　front　of　the　walls。



But　several　days　were　still　needed　to　finish　the　preparations　for　the

siege。　The　Mercenaries；　taught　by　their　defeats；　would　not　risk

themselves　in　useless　engagements；　and　on　both　sides　there　was　no

haste；　for　it　was　well　known　that　a　terrible　action　was　about　to　open；

and　that　the　result　of　it　would　be　complete　victory　or　complete

extermination。



Carthage　might　hold　out　for　a　long　time；　her　broad　walls　presented　a

series　of　re…entrant　and　projecting　angles；　an　advantageous

arrangement　for　repelling　assaults。



Nevertheless　a　portion　had　fallen　down　in　the　direction　of　the

Catacombs；　and　on　dark　nights　lights　could　be　seen　in　the　dens　of

Malqua　through　the　disjointed　blocks。　These　in　some　places　overlooked

the　top　of　the　ramparts。　It　was　here　that　the　Mercenaries'　wives；　who

had　been　driven　away　by　Matho；　were　living　with　their　new　husbands。　On

seeing　the　men　again　their　hearts　could　stand　it　no　longer。　They　waved

their　scarfs　at　a　distance；　then　they　came　and　chatted　in　the　darkness

with　the　soldiers　through　the　cleft　in　the　wall；　and　one　morning　the

Great　Council　learned　that　they　had　all　fled。　Some　had　passed　through

between　the　stones；　others　with　greater　intrepidity　had　let　themselves

down　with　ropes。



At　last　Spendius　resolved　to　accomplish　his　design。



The　war；　by　keeping　him　at　a　distance；　had　hitherto　prevented　him；　and

since　the　return　to　before　Carthage；　it　seemed　to　him　that　the

inhabitants　suspected　his　enterprise。　But　soon　they　diminished　the

sentries　on　the　aqueduct。　There　were　not　too　many　people　for　the

defence　of　the　walls。



The　former　slave　practised　himself　for　some　days　in　shooting　arrows　at

the　flamingoes　on　the　lake。　Then　one　moonlight　evening　he　begged　Matho

to　light　a　great　fire　of　straw　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　while　all

his　men　were　to　shout　at　the　same　time；　and　taking　Zarxas　with　him；　he

went　away　along　the　edge　of　the　gulf　in　the　direction　of　Tunis。



When　on　a　level　with　the　last　arches　they　returned　straight　towards

the　aqueduct；　the　place　was　unprotected：　they　crawled　to　the　base　of

the　pillars。



The　sentries　on　the　platform　were　walking　quietly　up　and　down。



Towering　flames　appeared；　clarions　rang；　and　the　soldiers　on　vedette；

believing　that　there　was　an　assault；　rushed　away　in　the　direction　of

Carthage。



One　man　had　remained。　He　showed　black　against　the　background　of　the

sky。　The　moon　was　shining　behind　hi