to work to cut down
boughs and erect arbours. Fires were lighted and another pig being
killed those who preferred it roasted his flesh over the fire, while
others boiled their portions, the Roman shields being utilized as pans.

"What do you think of doing, Malchus?" Halco asked as they stretched
themselves out on a grassy bank by the stream when they had finished
their meal. "We are safe here, and in these forests could defy the
Romans to find us for months. Food we can get from the villages at the
foot of the hills, and there must be many swine in the forest beside
this herd which we have captured. The life will not be an unpleasant
one, but--" and he stopped.

"But you don't wish to end your days here," Malchus put in for him, "nor
do I. It is pleasant enough, but every day we spend here is a waste of
our lives, and with Hannibal and our comrades combating the might of
Rome we cannot be content to live like members of the savage tribes
here. I have no doubt that we shall excite such annoyance and alarm by
our raids among the villages in the plains that the Romans will ere long
make a great effort to capture us, and doubtless they will enlist the
natives in their search. Still, we may hope to escape them, and there
are abundant points among these mountains where we may make a stand
and inflict such heavy loss upon them that they will be glad to come to
terms. All I would ask is that they shall swear by their gods to treat
us well and to convey us as prisoners of war to Rome, there to remain
until exchanged. In Rome we could await the course of events patiently.
Hannibal may capture the city. The senate, urged by the relatives of the
many prisoners we have taken, may agree to make an exchange, and we may
see chances of our making our escape. At any rate we shall be in the
world and shall know what is going on."

"But could we not hold out and make them agree to give us our freedom?"

"I do not think so," Malchus said. "It would be too much for Roman pride
to allow a handful of escaped prisoners to defy them in that way, and
even if the prefect of this island were to agree to the terms, I do not
believe that the senate would ratify them. We had better not ask too
much. For myself I own to a longing to see Rome. As Carthage holds
back and will send no aid to Hannibal, I have very little hope of ever
entering it as a conqueror, and rather than not see it at all I would
not mind entering it as a prisoner. There are no