ave been unwilling to forward to Rome, for it
would have been a confession that all the Roman force in the island was
incapable of overcoming this handful of desperate men, and he did not
think that the demand if made would have been agreed to by the senate.
The present proposition was vastly more acceptable. He could report
without humiliation that the Carthaginian slaves had broken loose
and taken to the mountains, where there would be great difficulty in
pursuing them, and they would serve as a nucleus round which would
assemble all the disaffected in the island; and could recommend that,
as they only demanded to be sent to Rome as prisoners of war, instead
of being kept in the island, the terms should be agreed to. After a
moment's delay, therefore, he replied:

"I agree to your terms, sir, as far as I am concerned, and own they
appear to me as moderate and reasonable. I will draw out a document,
setting them forth and my acceptance of them, and will send it at once
to the prefect, praying him to sign it, and to forward it to Rome for
the approval of the senate. Pending an answer I trust that you will
abstain from any further attacks upon the villages."

"It may be a fortnight before the answer returns," Malchus replied;
"but if you will send up to this point a supply of cattle and flour
sufficient for our wants till the answer comes, I will promise to
abstain from all further action."

To this the Roman readily agreed, and for a fortnight Malchus and
his friends amused themselves by hunting deer and wild boar among the
mountains. After a week had passed a man had been sent each day to the
spot agreed upon to see if any answer had been received from Rome. It
was nearly three weeks before he brought a message to Malchus that the
terms had been accepted, and that the Roman commander would meet him
there on the following day with the document. The interview took place
as arranged, and the Roman handed to Malchus the document agreeing to
the terms proposed, signed by himself and the prefect, and ratified by
the senate. He said that if Malchus with his party would descend into
the road on the following morning three miles below Metalla they would
find an escort of Roman soldiers awaiting them, and that a vessel would
be ready at the port for them to embark upon their arrival.

Next day, accordingly, Malchus with his companions left the forest, and
marched down to the valley in military order. At the appointed spot
th