"He sold them to me, ships and all," said the Admiralty-lord. "They made a pretty good howling at first; but a day or two in the dungeons, and a little low diet, corrected all that, and to-day they are as quiet as lambs."
I could not help smiling as I realised the adroitness with which Bodmilcar had taken advantage of his allies.
"You may laugh;" said Adonibal, half-amused and half-vexed; "the rascal has bamboozled the Egyptians, and outwitted you, crafty old salt as you are. Perhaps it may entertain you to learn that he has gone off with two of my galleys and three hundred Phœnicians."
"Good Ashtoreth!" I exclaimed; "how has he managed that?"
He emptied his wine-cup and went on:
"Three hundred criminals sentenced to transportation in the mother-country had been landed here. My prisons were already full, and I resolved at the first opportunity to forward them to the mines at Tarshish. Bodmilcar arrived; I gave him the commission. I lent him two galleys, and furnished him with written credentials from myself. But what did the knave do? the curse of Khousor Phtah be on him! he saw that they were a sturdy set, gave them their freedom, put arms in their hands, and enlisted them into his service. And now they are ready to attack you with my galleys as soon as you will give them a chance."
"No doubt," I said; "but never mind; I daresay we shall be a match for them."
We were interrupted by the arrival of Hannibal and the rest of my officers, who had received the suffect's invitation.
"Welcome, friends! welcome to you all!" he said; "I ought to recognise some old faces. Aye, there's Hamilcar! I remember him when he was a cabin-boy on board my ship. And here, too, here's Himilco, learned in the stars! and if my memory fails me not, no bad judge of a good cup of Helbon. It is so still, Himilco?"