ht will soon be breaking
and I must go. Tomorrow night I will return with a rope. I hope today to
find some place where you may be concealed."

Malchus with renewed hope threw himself upon the straw, and lay there
until about noon when he was again summoned to the presence of his
judges. They were the same whom he had seen previously.

"Malchus, son of Hamilcar," Hanno said, "you are now brought before us
to hear the crime with which you are charged. We have here before us the
written list of the names of the members of the conspiracy, headed
by Giscon, which had for its aim the murder of many of the senate of
Carthage and the overthrow of her constitution. We have also here the
confession of several of the conspirators confirming this list, and
saying that you were one of the party."

"I do not deny," Malchus said firmly, "that I did once visit the place
in which those you speak of met, and that my name was then entered on
the roll; but when I went there I was wholly ignorant of the purposes
of the association, and as soon as I learned their aims and objects I
withdrew from them, and did not again visit their place of meeting."

"You could not well do that," Hanno said, "since it is writ down that
you sailed very shortly afterwards for Spain."

"I own that I did so," Malchus replied, "but I told Giscon on the very
day that I accompanied him to the meeting that I would go there no more.
Moreover, your commissioners with Hannibal's army have already inquired
into the circumstances, and they, in consideration of the fact that I
was then little more than sixteen years old, that I was led ignorantly
into the plot, and at once separated myself from it, absolved me from
blame."

"The commissioners had no authority to do so," Hanno replied; "they were
ordered to send you to Carthage, and failed to carry out their orders
only because Hannibal then, as always, set himself above the authority
of the republic. As you have confessed that you were a member of this
conspiracy, no further trial is needed, and this court awards to you
the same punishment which was meted to all the others concerned in the
conspiracy--you will tomorrow be put to death by the usual punishment of
the press."

Malchus abstained from all reply, for it struck him at once that were
he to defy and anger his judges they might order him to be instantly
executed. He therefore without a word turned and accompanied his jailer
to his cell. He waited impatient