he enemy; but the panic was too
general, and had it not been for the Carthaginian legion all would have
been lost. The horse and foot, however, of this body, having abstained
from joining in the pillage, had, for the most part, kept together in
bodies, and these now sallied out in close and regular order, and fell
upon the attacking enemy.

The streets were too narrow for cavalry to act, and Malchus and his
comrades fought on foot. The enemy, who had scattered on their work of
slaughter, were in their turn taken at a disadvantage, and were unable
to withstand the steady attack of the solid bodies. These, in the first
place, cut their way to the square in the centre of the town, and there
united. Hannibal, seeing he had now a solid body of troops under his
command, at once broke them up into parties and advanced down all the
streets leading from the central square. The hand-to-hand fight which
was going on all over the town was soon terminated. The Carthaginians
fell in in good order behind the ranks of their comrades, and the small
bodies soon became columns which swept the enemy before them.

The enemy fought desperately, firing the houses, hurling stones from the
roofs upon the columns, and throwing themselves with reckless bravery
upon the spears, but their efforts were in vain. Foot by foot they
were driven back, until they were again expelled from the town. Keeping
together, and ever showing front to the Carthaginians, the Vacaei, now
reduced to less than half their number, retired to an eminence near the
town, and there prepared to sell their lives dearly. The Carthaginians
now fell into their regular ranks, and prepared to storm the enemy's
position; but Hannibal rode forward alone towards the Vacaei, being
plainly visible to them in the broad blaze of light from the burning
city.

From his long residence in Spain he was able to speak the Iberian tongue
with fluency, and indeed could converse with all the troops of the
various nationalities under the banner of Carthage in their own
language.

"Men of Salamanca," he said, "resist no longer. Carthage knows how to
honour a brave enemy, and never did men fight more valiantly in defence
of their homes than you have done, and although further resistance would
be hopeless, I will press you no further. Your lives are spared. You may
retain the arms you know so well how to wield, and tomorrow my army will
evacuate your town and leave you free to return to it."

Hann