men was seen issuing from the street, with shouts of "Hanno forever!"
They were headed by the butchers and tanners, an important and powerful
body, for Carthage did a vast trade in leather.

For a time they bore all before them, but the resistance increased every
foot they advanced. The shouts on both sides became louder and more
angry. Blows were soon exchanged, and ere long a pitched battle was
raging. The fishermen and sailors threw themselves into the thick of
it, and for ten minutes a desperate fight raged in the forum. Soon
the battle extended, as bodies of men belonging to either faction
encountered each other as they hurried towards the forum.

Street frays were by no means unusual in Carthage, but this was a
veritable battle. Hanno had at its commencement, accompanied by a strong
body of his friends, ridden to Byrsa, and had called upon the soldiers
to come out and quell the tumult They, however, listened in sullen
silence, their sympathies were entirely with the supporters of Hannibal,
and they had already received orders from their officers on no account
to move, whosoever might command them to do so, until Hamilcar placed
himself at their head.

The general delayed doing this until the last moment. Hannibal's friends
had hoped to carry their object without the intervention of the troops,
as it was desirable in every way that the election should appear to be a
popular one, and that Hannibal should seem to have the suffrages of the
people as well as of the army. That the large majority of the people
were with them they knew, but the money which Hanno's friends had
lavishly spent among the butchers, skinners, tanners, and smiths had
raised up a more formidable opposition than they had counted upon.

Seeing that their side was gaining but little advantage, that already
much blood had been shed, and that the tumult threatened to involve all
Carthage, Hamilcar and a number of officers rode to the barracks. The
troops at once got under arms, and, headed by the elephants, moved out
from Byrsa Being desirous to avoid bloodshed, Hamilcar bade his men
leave their weapons behind them, and armed them with headless spear
shafts, of which, with all other things needed for war, there was a
large store in the citadel. As the column sallied out it broke up into
sections. The principal body marched toward the forum, while others,
each led by officers, took their way down the principal streets.

The appearance of the eleph