d have to be fought by the way, and above all, the deadly conflict
which would take place before Rome could be carried by assault, and the
great rival of Carthage be humbled to the dust. Then he pictured the
return of the triumphant expedition, the shouting multitudes who would
acclaim Hannibal the sole arbitrator of the destinies of Carthage,
and in his heart rejoiced over the changes which would take place--the
overthrow of the faction of Hanno, the reform of abuses, the
commencement of an era of justice, freedom, and prosperity for all.

For more than three hours he sat thus, and then awoke to the fact that
the night was cold and the hour late. Drawing his bernous tightly round
him he descended into the city, which was now for the most part wrapped
in sleep. He was passing through the native quarter when a door opened
and several men came out. Scarcely knowing why he did so Malchus drew
back into a doorway until they had moved on ahead of him, and then
followed them at some little distance. At any other time he would have
thought nothing of such an incident, but his nerves were highly strung
at the moment, and his pause was dictated more by an indisposition to
encounter anything which might disturb the current of his thoughts than
by any other motive.

In the moonlight he could see that two of the five men ahead of him
were members of the Carthaginian horse guard, for the light glittered
on their helmets; the other three were, by their attire, natives. Two
of the latter soon separated from the others, and on reaching the better
part of the town the two Carthaginians turned down a side street, and in
the still night Malchus heard the parting words to their neighbour, "At
the same place tomorrow night." The remaining native kept straight along
the road which Malchus was following. Still onward he went, and
Malchus, to his surprise, saw him go up to one of the side entrances to
Hannibal's palace. He must have knocked very quietly, or someone must
have been waiting to admit him, for without a sound the door was opened
and the man entered.

Malchus went round to the principal entrance, and after a little
badinage from the officer on guard as to the lateness of the hour at
which he returned, made his way to his apartment.

He was puzzled by what he had seen. It was strange that two of the
Carthaginian guard, men necessarily belonging to noble families, should
have been at a native gathering of some sort in the upper tow