torrent of
the rout. He saw the troops issuing from the camp hurriedly, but on foot
and in disorder, with the precipitation produced by an unexpected event.
Many of them were adjusting the straps of their cuirasses, and the
different tribes were jostled together and minus their leaders, who in
vain had trumpeters blow their horns to bring the hosts to order.

The Saguntines in the blind impulse of victory clashed with this
reinforcement and almost routed it in the first encounter. Hannibal, who
had managed to reunite a group of the bravest soldiers, presented a firm
front to the Saguntines.

"This way! This way!" he shouted to those coming from the camp, who in
their excitement did not know where to rally.

But at the same time his cries attracted the enemy. Theron, as if guided
by his god, turned toward Hannibal, and soon his mace began to hammer at
the shields of the Carthaginians. He hurled himself against them with
cool courage, breaking their lances with a blow of his club, wounding
himself on the swords which seemed to rebound from his powerful muscles,
dripping blood beneath his lion skin, ferocious and magnificent, like
unto a divinity. He never raised his knotty trunk without dropping an
enemy at his feet.

The besiegers began to recede again before the pressure of the
Saguntines; Hannibal was once more dragged by his men who were terrified
by the savagery of the giant who seemed invulnerable, when an unexpected
turn gave a new phase to the combat. The earth shook beneath a wild
gallop, like the reverberation of rolling thunder, and leaning over
their horses' necks, their hair floating from beneath their helmets, and
their white tunics streaming around their naked limbs, Asbyte's Amazons
fell upon the enemy with the violence of a hurricane. They came
whooping, waving their lances, calling one to another to charge upon the
denser groups, and the assailants fell back astonished at these women
whom they saw near at hand for the first time, and who were now favored
by the effect of surprise.

Looking between the heads which surrounded him, Hannibal saw Asbyte pass
like a luminous flash, absolutely alone. The light of the sun, striking
upon her helmet, encircled her with a nimbus of gold. Her lover's
instinct had revealed to her where Hannibal stood surrounded by enemies,
and she dashed to his support.

Succeeding events were rapid, instantaneous. Through the dust of the
charge Hannibal barely made out what o