tle property could be saved,
and took the women and children away to retreats and fastnesses,
wherever they imagined they could find temporary concealment or
protection. The news of the movement of the two armies spread
throughout the country, carried by hundreds of refugees and
messengers, and all Italy, looking on with suspense and anxiety,
awaited the result.

The armies maneuvered for a day or two, Varro, during his term of
command, making arrangements to promote and favor an action, and
AEmilius, on the following day, doing every thing in his power to
prevent it. In the end, Varro succeeded. The lines were formed and the
battle must be begun. AEmilius gave up the contest now, and while he
protested earnestly against the course which Varro pursued, he
prepared to do all in his power to prevent a defeat, since there was
no longer a possibility of avoiding a collision.

The battle began, and the reader must imagine the scene, since no pen
can describe it. Fifty thousand men on one side and eighty thousand on
the other, at work hard and steadily, for six hours, killing each
other by every possible means of destruction--stabs, blows, struggles,
outcries, shouts of anger and defiance, and screams of terror and
agony, all mingled together, in one general din, which covered the
whole country for an extent of many miles, all together constituted a
scene of horror of which none but those who have witnessed great
battles can form any adequate idea.

It seems as if Hannibal could do nothing without stratagem. In the
early part of this conflict he sent a large body of his troops over to
the Romans as deserters. They threw down their spears and bucklers, as
they reached the Roman lines, in token of surrender. The Romans
received them, opened a passage for them through into the rear, and
ordered them to remain there. As they were apparently unarmed, they
left only a very small guard to keep them in custody. The men had,
however, daggers concealed about their dress, and, watching a
favorable moment, in the midst of the battle, they sprang to their
feet, drew out their weapons, broke away from their guard, and
attacked the Romans in the rear at a moment when they were so pressed
by the enemy in front that they could scarcely maintain their ground.

It was evident before many hours that the Roman forces were every
where yielding. From slowly and reluctantly yielding they soon began
to fly. In the flight, the weak and the wounde