courage, all at once raised their
hands, and declared their readiness to follow whithersoever he should lead
the way. Accordingly, he appointed the next day for his march; and, after
offering up vows, and making supplications to the gods for the safety of
his troops, he dismissed them; desiring, at the same time, that they would
take the necessary refreshments.

Whilst this was doing, the Numidians returned. They had met with, and
charged, the Roman detachment: the conflict was very obstinate, and the
slaughter great, considering the small number of the combatants. A hundred
and sixty of the Romans were left dead upon the spot, and more than two
hundred of their enemies. But the honour of this skirmish fell to the
Romans; the Numidians having retired and left them the field of battle.
This first action was interpreted as an omen(740) of the fate of the whole
war, and seemed to promise success to the Romans, but which, at the same
time, would be dearly bought, and strongly contested. On both sides, those
who had survived this engagement, and who had been engaged in
reconnoitring, returned to inform their respective generals of what they
had discovered.

Hannibal, as he had declared, decamped the next day, and crossed through
the midst of Gaul, advancing northward; not that this was the shortest way
to the Alps, but only, as by leading him from the sea, it prevented his
meeting Scipio; and, by that means, favoured the design he had, of
marching all his forces into Italy, without having weakened them by a
battle.

Though Scipio marched with the utmost expedition, he did not reach the
place where Hannibal had passed the Rhone, till three days after he had
set out from it. Despairing therefore to overtake him, he returned to his
fleet, and reimbarked, fully resolved to wait for Hannibal at the foot of
the Alps. But, in order that he might not leave Spain defenceless, he sent
his brother Cneius thither, with the greatest part of his army, to make
head against Asdrubal; and himself set forward immediately for Genoa, with
intention to oppose the army which was in Gaul, near the Po, to that of
Hannibal.

The latter, after four days' march, arrived at a kind of island, formed by
the conflux(741) of two rivers, which unite their streams in this place.
Here he was chosen umpire between two brothers, who disputed their right
to the kingdom. He to whom Hannibal decreed it, furnished his whole army
with provisions, clothes, and a