route was resumed.

The mountaineers, severely punished, made no further attacks; but the
road proved more difficult than that by which the ascent had been made.
Snow thickly covered the passes. Men and horses often lost their way,
and plunged to their death down the precipitous steep. Onward struggled
the distressed host, through appalling dangers and endless difficulties,
losing men and animals at every step. But these troubles were trifling
compared with those which they were now to endure. They suddenly found
that the track before them had entirely disappeared. An avalanche had
carried it bodily away for about three hundred yards, leaving only a
steep and impassable slope covered with loose rocks and snow.

A man of less resolution than Hannibal might well have succumbed before
this supreme difficulty. The way forward had vanished. To go back was
death. It was impossible to climb round the lost path, for the heights
above were buried deep in snow. Nothing remained but to perish where
they were, or to make a new road across the mountain's flank.

The energetic commander lost not an hour in deciding. Moving back to a
space of somewhat greater breadth, the snow was removed and the army
encamped. Then the difficult engineering work began. Hands were
abundant, for every man was working for his life. Tools were improvised.
So energetically did the soldiers work that the road rapidly grew before
them. As it was cut into the rock it was supported by solid foundations
below. Many ancient authors say that Hannibal used vinegar to soften the
rocks, but this we have no sufficient reason to believe.

So vigorously did the work go on, so many were the hands engaged, that
in a single day a track was made over which the horses and
baggage-animals could pass. These were sent over and reached the lower
valley in safety, where pasture was found.

The passage of the elephants was a more difficult task. The road for
them must be solid and wide. It took three days of hard labor to make
it. Meanwhile the great beasts suffered severely from hunger, for
forage there was none, nor trees on whose leaves they might browse.

At length the road was strong enough to bear them. They safely passed
the perilous reach. After them came Hannibal with the rear of the army,
soon reaching the cavalry and baggage. Three days more the wearied host
struggled on, down the southward slopes of the Alps, until finally they
reached the wide plain of Norther