on horseback to a house in such a quarter," Malchus said.

"We dare not meet secretly, you know. The city is full of spies,
and doubtless the movements of all known to be hostile to Hanno and
his party are watched, therefore we thought it best to meet here.
We have caused it to be whispered as a secret in the neighbourhood,
that the house has been taken as a place where we can gamble free
from the presence of our elders. Therefore the only comments we
excite is, `There go those young fools who are ruining themselves.'
It is only because you are on horseback that I have come round
to this gate; had you come on foot we should have entered by the
front. Fortunately there are among us many who are deemed to be
mere pleasure seekers -- men who wager fortunes on their horses, who
are given to banquets, or whose lives seem to be passed in luxury
and indolence, but who at heart are as earnest in the cause of Carthage
as I am. The presence of such men among us gives a probability to
the tale that this is a gambling house. Were we all of my stamp,
men known to be utterly hostile to Hanno and his party, suspicion
would fall upon our meetings at once. But here we are."

As he spoke he drew aside some heavy curtains and entered a large
room. Some ten or twelve young men were assembled there. They
looked up in surprise as Giscon entered followed by his companion.

"I have brought a recruit," Giscon said, "one whom all of you know
by repute if not personally; it is Malchus, the son of General
Hamilcar. He is young to be engaged in a business like ours, but
I have been with him in a campaign and can answer for him. He is
brave, ready, thoughtful and trustworthy. He loves his country
and hates her tyrants. I can guarantee that he will do nothing