he had rashly entered. He was ready for armed insurrection against
the tyrants of Carthage, but he revolted from the thought of this
plan for a midnight massacre -- it was not by such means that he
would have achieved the regeneration of his country. He felt, too,
that the reason which he had given Giscon was a valid one. He had
no right, at his age, to involve his family in such a conspiracy.
Did it fail, and were he found to be among the conspirators, Hanno
and his associates would be sure to seize the fact as a pretext for
assailing Hamilcar. They would say that Malchus would never have
joined in such a plot had he not known that it had the approval
of his father, and that he was in fact but the representative of
his family in the design for overthrowing the constitution of the
republic.

Fortunately for Malchus, a few days later orders were given for
the instant embarkation of a portion of the reinforcements destined
for Hannibal. Hamilcar was to proceed in command of them, and,
busied with his preparation for the start, Malchus thought little
more of the conspiracy which was brewing. Thirty large merchant
ships were hired to convey the troops, who numbered six thousand.
These were principally Libyan footmen. The main body, with
the Numidian horse, were to follow shortly. At last the day for
embarkation arrived, and the troops defiled through the temple of
Moloch, where sacrifices were offered up for the success of the
enterprise.

Malchus, under the pretense that something was not ready, at the last
moment lingered at home, and only joined his comrades, a hundred
young men of the Carthaginian horse, on the quays. This body, all
composed of young men of the best families of Carthage, were to