One of the two who had come on in advance shouted in Italian:
"Who are you? and what have you come for?"
Himilco, who had followed me, shouted back in the same language that we were merchants who had come from distant lands, and that we wanted to open a trade with them.
"But are you not Rasennæ? and is it not your design to rob us our cattle?"
"Nothing of the sort," we answered; "we are Phœnicians from the east. Come down to the shore, and you shall see our merchandise."
Both the men retired to their comrades, and appeared to deliberate; but very shortly they returned, and one of them called out:
"You see these two trees on each side of me; these must be our boundary."
And, driving his lance firmly into the ground midway between them, he continued:
"If you advance one step beyond this lance, I take it up, and we declare ourselves your foes."
