g about two
thousand captured oxen, he ordered his soldiers to bind a torch or
faggot of dry wood to their horns, and at night at a given signal to set
them on fire, and drive the animals towards the narrow outlet near the
enemy's camp. While this was being done, he got the remainder of the
troops under arms and led them slowly forward. The cattle, while the
flame was moderate, and burned only the wood, walked steadily forward
towards the mountain side, astonishing the shepherds on the mountain,
who thought that it must be an army, marching in one great column,
carrying torches. But when their horns were burned to the quick, causing
them considerable pain, the beasts, now scorched by the fire from one
another as they shook their heads, set off in wild career over the
mountains, with their foreheads and tails blazing, setting fire to a
great part of the wood through which they passed. The Romans watching
the pass were terribly scared at the sight; for the flames looked like
torches carried by men running, and they fell into great confusion and
alarm, thinking that they were surrounded, and about to be attacked on
all sides by the enemy. They dared not remain at their post, but
abandoned the pass, and made for the main body. At that moment
Hannibal's light troops took possession of the heights commanding the
outlet, and the main army marched safely through, loaded with plunder.

VII. It happened that while it was yet night Fabius perceived the trick;
for some of the oxen in their flight had fallen into the hands of the
Romans; but, fearing to fall into an ambuscade in the darkness, he kept
his men quiet under arms. When day broke he pursued and attacked the
rearguard, which led to many confused skirmishes in the rough ground,
and produced great confusion, till Hannibal sent back his practised
Spanish mountaineers from the head of his column. These men, being light
and active, attacked the heavily-armed Roman infantry and beat off
Fabius' attack with very considerable loss. Now Fabius's unpopularity
reached its highest pitch, and he was regarded with scorn and contempt.
He had, they said, determined to refrain from a pitched battle, meaning
to overcome Hannibal by superior generalship, and he had been defeated
in that too. And Hannibal himself, wishing to increase the dislike which
the Romans felt for him, though he burned and ravaged every other part
of Italy, forbade his men to touch Fabius's own estates, and even placed