"But considering we have no cavalry and no chariots," I said, interrupting him, "we must defend ourselves how we can."
Without taking any notice of what I had said, he was proceeding to expatiate upon the advantages and disadvantages of our position, when a huge stone struck his helmet, knocking off the crest and battering in the headpiece, and enforced upon him more effectually than I had done the necessity of abandoning theory for practice. For an instant he staggered with the shock, but quickly recovering himself, he roared out:
"By Nergal! this won't do. Holy El-Adonai! this is too much. They must pay the penalty for this. Archers! quick! up the slopes! shoot every one who attempts to enter the ravine!"
And turning to me, he cried:
"Captain, will you take your sailors back again up the very path by which you came down, and sweep round to those vagabonds who are harassing our rear?"
"Men of Judah," he continued, "follow Chamai. Chamai, lead them yonder to the left. And now, my men, to the right with me. Forward!"
"Forward to the left! long live the King!" shouted Chamai at the full pitch of his lungs, as he obeyed orders, and led off his company in the direction contrary to Hannibal.
The archers under Hamilcar formed a circle round the women and the baggage, and were a guard for the bottom of the ravine; Himilco and Gisgo, with my party, regained the ridge we had so recently quitted; and thus on every side we presented a front to the enemy.
No sooner had we scaled the side of the ridge, than my men, cutlass in hand, began to lay about them vigorously. The half-naked men of Tarshish, armed only with clumsy bludgeons or wooden-pointed lances, could make no stand against our sharp weapons, and fell in numbers beneath our blows; and although crowds of them disappeared behind the thickets, we did not break our compact mass to go in pursuit, but pushed on straight ahead. Concealed and protected by the underwood, many of the foe continued to follow us, and to hurl javelins at us from piles that had been secreted ready for the purpose. When, however, we came to any open patch, clear of trees, a detachment of our men would make a dash into the brushwood in the hope of capturing some of the stragglers; but the savages were generally much too fleet of foot to allow themselves to be caught, and only about fifteen altogether were secured in this way. To these no quarter was given.
