previous evening. During the night the deep roaring of lions had
been heard continuously among the hills, and so bold and numerous
were they that they had come down in such proximity to the camp
that the troops had been obliged to rise and light great fires to
scare them from making an attack upon the horses.

The general had therefore consented, upon the entreaties of his
nephew Adherbal, and his son, to organize a hunt upon the following
night. As soon as the sun set the troops, who had already received
their orders, fell into their ranks. The full moon rose as soon
as the sun dipped below the horizon, and her light was ample for
the object they had in view.

The Numidian horse were to take their station on the plain; the
infantry in two columns, a mile apart, were to enter the mountains,
and having marched some distance, leaving detachments behind them,
they were to move along the crest of the hills until they met;
then, forming a great semicircle, they were to light torches, which
they had prepared during the day, and to advance towards the plain
shouting and dashing their arms, so as to drive all the wild
animals inclosed in the arc down into the plain.

The general with the two young officers and his son, and a party
of fifty spearmen, were to be divided between the two groves in
which the camps were pitched, which were opposite the centre of the
space facing the line inclosed by the beaters. Behind the groves
the Numidian horse were stationed, to give chase to such animals as
might try to make their escape across the open plain. The general
inspected the two bodies of infantry before they started,
and repeated his instructions to the officers who commanded them,