"You cut fine figures," I said, laughing; "go and paint your faces, and you will make capital Cymri."
Hannibal tried by very elaborate reasoning to justify his proceeding, alleging that one ought to conform to national customs, and that as the warriors here had their faces shorn, it was right that he as a warrior amongst warriors should do the same.
"And Abigail," said Chamai, "thinks the change is very becoming to me."
This argument being unanswerable, I had not another word to say.
Days, weeks and months glided on whilst we continued our active though somewhat monotonous labours.
When Hamilcar returned from his cruise, he informed us that he had not only made his way along the west coast of the great island, but that, still farther to the west, he had discovered a somewhat smaller island which he had completely circumnavigated; the natives, he said, called it Erin, or "the green isle," from its remarkable verdure, and I retained the name.
The winter came on, cold and drear. I have no power to describe the consternation of those of our party who had never before seen frost or snow; nothing but the sternest necessity could induce them ever to leave their huts. The poor monkey suffered excessively. Bichri and Dionysos alone seemed unaffected by the fall of temperature; they were always ready to join the young Cymri in games of snowballing, and would glide along the frozen surface of the water until their faces glowed again with the exertion.
Under Bichri's tuition the little Phocian boy was becoming an adept in the use both of the sling and of the bow; he seemed always delighted to be bringing back from his hunting excursions fresh trophies of his skill.
