n. Strange,
too, that a man probably an attendant or slave belonging to the palace
should also have been present. The more he thought of it the more he was
puzzled to account for it, and before he went to sleep he came to the
resolution that he would, if possible, on the following night discover
the object of such a gathering.

Next evening, therefore, he returned from the Syssite early, exchanged
his helmet for a skullcap, and, wrapping himself in his cloak, made his
way to the house from which he had seen the men come forth. It stood at
the corner of the street. Thick hangings hung across the openings for
the windows, and prevented even a ray of light from finding its way out.
Listening attentively Malchus could hear a low hum of voices within. As
there were still people about he moved away for half an hour.

On his return the street was deserted. Malchus put his hand through
a window opening into the side street and felt that the hanging was
composed of rushes tightly plaited together. With the point of his
dagger he very cautiously cut a slit in this, and applying his eye to it
was able to obtain a glimpse of the apartment within. On low stools by
a fire two Carthaginians were sitting, while four natives were seated on
the rushes which covered the floor. Malchus recognized the Carthaginians
at once, for they were members of the troop in which he had served.
Neither of them were men popular among their fellows, for they belonged
to families closely related to Hanno. They had always, however,
professed the greatest admiration for Hannibal, and had declared that
for their part they altogether repudiated the doings of the party to
which their family belonged.

The conversation was carried on in low tones, a precaution absolutely
necessary in the day when glass windows were unknown, unless the
discourse was upon general subjects. Malchus listened attentively, but
although he thought he caught the words Hanno and Hannibal repeated
several times, he was unable to hear more. At the end of the half hour
the conference was apparently at an end, for all rose to their feet.
One of the Carthaginians put a bag, which was evidently heavy, into
the hands of one of the natives, and the party then went out. Malchus
stepped to the corner and caught the words, "Tomorrow night, then,
without fail."

The party then separated, the Carthaginians passing straight on, the
natives waiting until they had gone some little distance ahead bef