I would have killed
the whole of these treacherous savages if I had not been afraid of
injuring you and the men. As it was I was in terrible fright when the
stones went rushing down at you. One of our men has been killed, I see;
but there was no help for it."

The whole party then proceeded down the valley. On emerging from the
hills Trebon told his improvised army that they could return to their
village, as he had no further need of their services, and, delighted at
having escaped without damage or injury, they at once proceeded on their
way.

"We had best halt here for the night," Trebon said, "and in the morning
I will start off with the mounted men and get some horses from one of
the villages for the rest of you. No doubt they are all pretty well
stripped of fighting men."

The next day the horses were obtained, and Malchus, seeing that, now he
had lost all the presents intended for the chiefs, it would be useless
to pursue his mission further, especially as he had learned that the
Roman agents had already been at work among the tribes, returned with
his party to Hannibal's camp.

"I am sorry, Malchus," the Carthaginian general said, when he related
his failure to carry out the mission, "that you have not succeeded, but
it is clear that your failure is due to no want of tact on your part.
The attack upon you was evidently determined upon the instant you
appeared in sight of the village, for men must have been sent out
at once to summon the tribe. Your friend Trebon behaved with great
intelligence in the matter of your rescue, and I shall at once promote
him a step in rank."

"I am ready to set out again and try whether I can succeed better with
some of the other chiefs if you like," Malchus said.

"No, Malchus, we will leave them alone for the present. The Romans have
been beforehand with us, and as this man was one of their principal
chiefs, it is probable that, as he has forsaken his alliance with us,
the others have done the same. Moreover, the news of his death, deserved
as it was, at the hands of a party of Carthaginians, will not improve
their feelings towards us. Nothing short of a general movement among the
hill tribes would be of any great advantage to us, and it is clear that
no general movement can be looked for now. Besides, now that we see the
spirit which animates these savages, I do not care to risk your loss by
sending you among them."

The news of the disaster of Lake Trasimene was met by R