an unbroken barrier of steep and wooded hills, the
passes of which were strongly guarded by the Romans.

After seeing that every road over the hills was strongly held by his
troops, Fabius sat down with his army on the mountains, whence he could
watch the doings of Hannibal's force on the plains. He himself was amply
supplied with provisions from the country in his rear, and he awaited
patiently the time when Hannibal, having exhausted all the resources
of the Campania, would be forced by starvation to attack the Romans in
their almost impregnable position in the passes.

Hannibal was perfectly aware of the difficulties of his position. Had
he been free and unencumbered by baggage he might have led his army
directly across the wooded mountains, avoiding the passes guarded by
the Romans, but with his enormous trail of baggage this was impossible
unless he abandoned all the rich plunder which the army had collected.
Of the two outlets from the plain, by the Appian and Latin roads which
led to Rome, neither could be safely attempted, for the Roman army would
have followed in his rear, and attacked him while endeavouring to force
the passages in the mountains.

The same objection applied to his crossing the Vulturnus. The only
bridge was strongly held by the Romans, and the river was far too deep
and rapid for a passage to be attempted elsewhere with the great Roman
army close at hand. The mountain range between the Vulturnus and Cades
was difficult in the extreme, as the passes were few and very strongly
guarded, but it was here that Hannibal resolved to make the attempt to
lead his army from the difficult position in which it was placed. He
waited quietly in the plain until the supplies of food were beginning to
run low, and then prepared for his enterprise.

An immense number of cattle were among the plunder. Two thousand of the
stoutest of these were selected, torches were fastened to their horns,
and shortly before midnight the light troops drove the oxen to the
hills, avoiding the position of the passes guarded by the enemy. The
torches were then lighted, and the light troops drove the oxen straight
up the hill. The animals, maddened by fear, rushed tumultuously forward,
scattering in all directions on the hillside, but, continually urged by
the troops behind them, mounting towards the summits of the hills.

The Roman defenders of the passes, seeing this great number of lights
moving upwards, supposed that Hannib