ill which lay about halfway between the camp of
Minucius and Geronium.

The plain which surrounded the hill was level and destitute of wood, but
Hannibal on a careful examination found that there were several hollows
in which troops could be concealed, and in these during the night he
posted five thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry. The position
occupied by them was such that they would be able to take the Romans in
flank and rear should they advance against the hill. Having made these
dispositions he sent forward a body of light troops in the morning
to occupy the hill. Minucius immediately despatched his light troops,
supported by cavalry, to drive them from it. Hannibal reinforced his
Carthaginians by small bodies of troops, and the fight was obstinately
maintained until Minucius, whose blood was now up, marched towards the
hill with his legions in order of battle.

Hannibal on his side advanced with the remains of his troops, and the
battle became fierce and general, until Hannibal gave the signal to
his troops in ambush, who rushed out and charged the Romans in rear and
flank. Their destruction would have been as complete and terrible as
that which had befallen the army of Sempronius at the Trebia, had not
Fabius moved forward with his troops to save the broken legions of
Minucius.

Fabius now offered battle, but Hannibal, well content with the heavy
blow which he had struck, and the great loss which he had inflicted upon
the command of Minucius, fell back to his camp. Minucius acknowledged
that Fabius had saved his army from total destruction, and at once
resigned his command into his hands, and reverted to his former position
under him. Both armies then went into winter quarters.

Malchus had not been present at the fighting near Geronium. Two days
after Hannibal broke through the Roman positions round the plains of
Campania he intrusted Malchus with an important commission. Commanding
the bodyguard of the general, and being closely related to him, Malchus
was greatly in Hannibal's confidence, and was indeed on the same footing
with Mago, Hannibal's brother, and two or three other of his most
trusted generals. Gathered in the general's tent on the previous
evening, these had agreed with their leader that final success could not
be looked for in their enterprise unless reinforcements were received
from Carthage.

It was now a year since they had emerged from the Alps on to the plains
of Northern Italy