ffort to
carry a breach at almost the same spot, the Spaniards hurling among them
stones, hand grenades of glass bottles and shells, and defending the
breach with their long pikes against all the efforts of Suchet's troops.

Some days passed before the attack was renewed, as the troops were worn
out by their labours. A strong guard in the meantime held the advanced
works against any sorties of the Saguntines.

These, on their side, worked night and day, and by the time the
Carthaginians again advanced the wall was rebuilt and the breach closed.
But Hannibal had also been busy. Seeing that it was impossible for
his troops to win an entrance by a breach, as long as the Saguntines
occupied every point commanding it, he caused a vast tower to be built,
sufficiently lofty to overlook every point of the defences, arming each
of its stages with catapults and ballistas. He also built near the walls
a great terrace of wood higher than the walls themselves, and from this
and from the tower he poured such torrents of missiles into the town
that the defenders could no longer remain upon the walls. Five hundred
Arab miners now advanced, and these, setting to work with their
implements, soon loosened the lower stones of the wall, and this again
fell with a mighty crash and a breach was opened.

The Carthaginians at once swarmed in and took possession of the wall;
but while the besiegers had been constructing their castle and terrace,
the Saguntines had built an interior wall, and Hannibal saw himself
confronted with a fresh line of defences.

As preparations were being made for the attack of the new defences
messengers arrived saying that the Carpatans and Orotans, furious at the
heavy levies of men which had been demanded from them for the army, had
revolted. Leaving Maharbal to conduct the siege in his absence, Hannibal
hurried away with a portion of his force, and returned in two months,
having put down the revolt and severely punished the tribesmen.

While the siege had been continuing the Romans had been making vain
efforts to induce the Carthaginians to desist. No sooner had the
operations commenced than agents from the Roman senate waited on
Hannibal and begged him to abandon the siege. Hannibal treated their
remonstrance with disdain, at the same time writing to Carthage to say
that it was absolutely necessary that the people of Saguntum, who were
insolent and hostile, relying on the protection of Rome, should be
punishe