med
Metalla, with a strong Roman garrison, which supplied guards over the
slaves employed in working the mines. This town is now called Iglesias.

The principal mine was situated in a narrow valley running west from the
town down to the sea coast. The officer in command of the escort handed
over Malchus and his companions to the charge of the officer at the head
mining establishment.

Malchus was surprised at the large number of people gathered at the
spot. They lived for the most part in low huts constructed of boughs or
sods, and ranged in lines at the bottom of the valley or along the lower
slopes of the hill. A cordon of Roman sentries was placed along the
crest of the hill at either side, and a strong guard was posted in a
little camp in the centre of the valley, in readiness to put down any
tumult which might arise.

The great majority of the slaves gathered there were Sards, men
belonging to tribes which had risen in insurrection against the Romans.
There were with them others of their countrymen who were not like them
slaves, though their condition was but little better except that they
received a nominal rate of payment. These were called free labourers,
but their labour was as much forced as was that of the slaves--each
district in the island being compelled to furnish a certain amount
of labourers for this or the mines further to the north. The men so
conscripted were changed once in six months. With the Sards were mingled
people of many nations. Here were Sicilians and members of many Italian
tribes conquered by the Romans, together with Gauls from the northern
plains and from Marseilles.

There were many mines worked in different parts of the island, but
Metalla was the principal. The labour, in days when gunpowder had not
become the servant of man, was extremely hard. The rocks had to be
pierced with hand labour, the passages and galleries were of the
smallest possible dimensions, the atmosphere was stifling; consequently
the mortality was great, and it was necessary to keep up a constant
importation of labour.

"If these people did but possess a particle of courage," Trebon said,
"they would rise, overpower the guard, and make for the forests. The
whole island is, as the officer who brought us here told us, covered
with mountains with the exception of the two broad plains running
through it; as we could see the hills are covered with woods, and the
whole Roman army could not find them if they once e