worse than all, our hopes of saving Carthage from the corruption
and tyranny which have so long been pressing her into the dust
are at an end. It is a good omen of success that you have returned
from your expedition at such a critical moment. All has gone well
with you, I hope. You know the fate that awaits an unsuccessful
general here."

"Ay, I know," Hamilcar said bitterly; "to be judged by a secret
tribunal of civilians, ignorant of even the rudimentary laws of
war, and bent not upon arriving at the truth, but of gratifying
their patrons and accomplices; the end, disgrace and execution.

"No, my success has been complete, although not brilliant. I
have obtained the complete submission of the Atarantes, and have
brought with me ten of their principal chiefs as hostages; but my
success narrowly escaped being not only a failure but a disaster.
I had in vain striven to come to blows with them, when suddenly
they fell upon me at night, and in the desperate combat which
followed, well nigh half my force fell; but in the end we inflicted a
terrible chastisement upon them and completely humbled their pride."

"So long as you succeeded in humbling them and bringing home hostages
for their good behaviour, all is well; the lives of a few score
of soldiers, more or less, matters little to Carthage. We have
but to send out an order to the tribes and we can replace them a
hundred fold in a week; `tis only a failure which would be fatal.
Carthage has suffered such terrible disasters at the hands of her
tributaries that she trembles at the slightest rising, for its
success might be the signal for another general insurrection. If
you have humbled the Atarantes, all is well.