But the need, meanwhile, was becoming more and more urgent that we should reach the Cabiros, although she was holding out with a vigorous defence. I had to manœuvre by taking a long semicircular sweep to get beyond the reach of the boats around me, but the delay had its advantage in giving Hannibal opportunity to arrange his men. He very judiciously placed the archers in the stern, and divided his remaining force into two companies; one of them under his own leadership to be prepared to follow him on to the deck of the Cabiros, the other to remain and protect their own ship from being boarded.
About the Dagon I had little or no anxiety. I could see that she was not only holding her own, but that by dashing backwards and forwards amongst the medley of boats around her, she was crushing or sinking all that she came athwart, and by discharging volleys of arrows and pots of combustibles, she succeeded in distressing the men on board to such a degree that we could hear their howlings of mingled rage and dismay.
Hannibal's instructions to his soldiers were very brief; telling those whom he left behind that they were to obey Chamai's orders, and that he trusted them to do their duty, he turned to those under his own command, and said:
"Soldiers! the fight before you is a fight hand-to-hand; no room for lances! Draw your swords, stand ready at the prow!"
I gave orders to the rowers to pull steadily ahead; but they had scarcely laid themselves out to their work, when we fouled two of the boats which had detached themselves from the others, and were endeavouring to get alongside of us.
"Quick! to the engines!" I cried; "and, archers, draw your bows!"
In an instant Bichri's men were at the scorpions, and a perfect torrent of stones, arrows, and combustibles, fell on either hand. Hannibal's men did not stir from their attitude of readiness, and Chamai kept his detachment grouped close around the mast, abiding the time for a charge to be ordered. Bichri's party laid aside their bows, and drew their knives and swords; and Jonah, laying his trumpet on the deck, armed himself with the ponderous handspike usually employed for heaving the anchor, and which two ordinary men could scarcely carry.
"Come on, Dodanim!" he shouted; "if you can afford a calf for a little shaking, perhaps you will pay better still if I lay this rod across your shoulders. I should like a few bullocks and a good skin of wine. I am quite ready to begin pounding away, like Samson at the mill."
The time for action had come, and I gave the word of command to push ahead, straight at the foe. A dash and a crash! and cries of mingled wrath and consternation rose from beneath our prow as it made its way in a vortex of foam. We rushed past the first boat, leaving it hopelessly far astern; we disabled a second that was designing an attack upon our starboard, and we capsized a third that was coming on our left; and when our men drew breath after their paroxysm of exertion we were within half a bowshot of the Cabiros. So close we were, that I could see Hamilcar with his head all bleeding, and Gisgo, with dishevelled hair, laying about him desperately with his hatchet, whilst a dozen sailors who had retreated to the stern, were making a vain effort to repel the invaders, who continued to make their way on board.