ror and threw himself upon his face. When
the Carthaginians came up to him Malchus stirred him with his foot, but
he refused to move; he then pricked him with the Roman spear he held,
and the man leaped to his feet with a shout. Malchus told him in Italian
that he was free to go, but that the swine must be confiscated for the
use of his followers. The man did not understand his words, but, seeing
by his gestures that he was free to go, set off at the top of his speed,
hardly believing that he could have escaped with his life, and in no
way concerned at the loss of the herd. This was, indeed, the property of
various individuals in one of the villages at the foot of the hills--it
being then, as now, the custom for several men owning swine to send them
together under the charge of a herdsman into the mountains, where for
months together they live in a half wild state on acorns and roots, a
villager going up occasionally with supplies of food for the swineherd.

No sooner had the peasant disappeared than a shout from one of the men
some fifty yards away called the attention of Malchus.

"Here is the man's fire, my lord."

A joyous exclamation rose from the soldiers, for, the thought of all
this meat and no means of cooking it was tantalizing every one. Malchus
hurried to the spot, where, indeed, was a heap of still glowing embers.
Some of the men at once set to work to collect dried sticks, and in a
few minutes a great fire was blazing. One of the pigs was slaughtered
and cut up into rations, and in a short time each man was cooking his
portion stuck on a stick over the fire.

A smaller fire was lit for the use of the officers a short distance
away, and here Nessus prepared their share of the food for Malchus
and his two companions. After the meal the spears were improved by the
points being hardened in the fire. When they were in readiness to march
two of the men were told off as fire keepers, and each of these took two
blazing brands from the fire, which, as they walked, they kept crossed
before them, the burning points keeping each other alight. Even with one
man there would be little chance of losing the fire, but with two such a
misfortune could scarcely befall them.

A party of ten men took charge of the herd of swine, and the whole
then started for the point they intended to make to in the heart of
the mountains. Before the end of the day a suitable camping place was
selected in a watered valley. The men then set