"Very good," said Himilco; "and I think I can undertake to make them trot along at a good pace. Give me a stick, and I will write a few words of their Iberian tongue upon their backs in a way they will perhaps remember."
The overseer seemed to enjoy Himilco's spiteful jest, for he laughed aloud. We emptied our wine-cups, and broke up our meeting.
Betimes next morning we were again on our voyage up the river, and in less than a day had reached Ziba's territory. Her overseer, a native of Utica, lent me two hundred slaves as porters and miners, and I divided them into gangs, which I put under the supervision of my officers. The ships, with just a sufficient portion of their crews, were left under the charge of Hasdrubal; the Dagon and the Ashtoreth descending the river for a short distance to get a better anchorage; the Cabiros, as drawing less water, being left under orders to cruise about, and to keep on collecting a supply of provisions. We had been provided with a guide; and everything being arranged, I set out upon my exploration of the new territory.
We started across an extensive plateau, and having traversed several woods and deep ravines, made our encampment for the night. Very monotonous were the journeys of the following days, over gloomy hills and across deep valleys, and it was not until the middle of the fourth day after leaving the banks of the Bœtis, that we caught sight of an Iberian village. The people were all under arms when we arrived, and inclined to take a defiant attitude, but a few presents had the effect of conciliating the chiefs, and inducing them to give us permission to encamp on a barren knoll, about three stadia off their cluster of huts. Under Hannibal's superintendence we surrounded the encampment with a trench and a palisade, and in two days were ready to commence our digging operations, in which we were directed by an experienced man, who had been sent with us for the purpose.
We were beginning an arduous task. For three long months did our labours proceed without intermission. The Iberians were always distrustful, but never committed any overt act of hostility. Yet, thanks to the favour of Ashtoreth, though our work was long, our success was great. Excavation after excavation turned out prolific, and as the result of our mining, I obtained no less than two thousand shekels of silver. Some of this I refined on the spot, and retained in my own keeping, the rest of the ore being periodically despatched by hired slaves to the Ashtoreth, whence I received back a written acknowledgment of each consignment as it was delivered on board.
At length I felt it was time to re-organise my caravan to return; and under the direction of an Iberian guide, over whom a strict surveillance was kept, we set out upon our way back to the ships, rejoicing to quit the desolation in which we had been sojourning so long.
No sooner were our backs turned upon the encampment than the Iberians rushed towards it, tore down the palisade, and scrambled furiously for any article, however worthless, that we happened to have left behind.