n through a
valley in which Malchus and his companions had taken post.

Very various was the game which then fell before their arrows and
javelins. Sometimes a herd of deer would dart past, then two bears
with their family would come along growling fiercely as they went, and
looking back angrily at the disturbers of their peace. Sometimes a pack
of wolves, with their red tongues hanging out, and fierce, snarling
barks, would hurry along, or a wild boar would trot leisurely past,
until he reached the spot where the hunters were posted. The wolves and
deer fell harmlessly before the javelins of the Carthaginians, but the
bears and wild boars frequently showed themselves formidable opponents,
and there were several desperate fights before these yielded to the
spears and swords of the hunters.

Sometimes portions of the animals they had killed were hung up at night
from the bough of a tree at a distance from the camp, to attract the
bears, and one or two of the party, taking their post in neighbouring
trees, would watch all night for the coming of the beasts. The snow
was now lying thick on the tops of the mountains, and the wolves were
plentiful among the forests.

One day Malchus and two of his companions had followed a wounded deer
far up among the hills, and were some miles away from the camp when the
darkness began to set in.

"I think we had better give it up," Malchus said; "we shall find it
difficult as it is to find our way back; I had no idea that it was so
late."

His companions at once agreed, and they turned their faces towards the
camp. In another half hour it was perfectly dark under the shadow of the
trees, but the moon was shining, and its position afforded them a means
of judging as to the direction where the camp lay. But even with such
assistance it was no easy matter making their way. The country was rough
and broken; ravines had to be crossed, and hills ascended. After pushing
on for two hours, Halcon, the eldest of the party, said:

"I am by no means sure that we are going right after all. We have had
a long day's work now, and I do not believe we shall find the camp
tonight. I think we had better light a fire here and wrap ourselves in
our cloaks. The fire will scare wild beasts away, and we shall be easily
able to find the camp in the morning."

The proposal was at once accepted; sticks were collected, and, with
flint and steel and the aid of some dried fungus which they carried in
their po