As soon as it ,vas dark, the camp silently broke up; the oxen were driven some distance in front of the column. When they had reached the foot of the Inountains ,vhere the roads began to narrow, the signal was given and the herds with their flaming horns were driven up the mountain side. The terrifying glare of the flames shooting from their heads and the heat which penetrated to the root of their horns made the oxen rush about as though they were mad. At this sudden scampering about, it seemed as though the woods and mountains \vere on fire, and all the brushwood round became alight and the incessant but useless shaking of their heads made the flames shoot out all the more, and gave the appearance of men running ahout in all directions. When the men who were guarding the pass saw fires moving above them high up on the mountains, they thought that their position was turned, and they hastily quitted it. Making their ,yay up to the highest points, they took the direction '/Ii here there appeared to be the fewest flames, thinking this to be the safest road. Even so, they came across stray oxen separated from the herd, and at first sight they stood still in astonishment at what seemed a preternatural sight of beings breathing fire. When it turned out to be simply a human device they were still more alarmed at what they suspected \vas an ambuscade, and they took to flight. Now they fell in with some of Hannibal's light infantry, but both sides shrank from a fight in the darkness and remained inactive tiIl daylight. In the meantin1e IIannibal had marched the whole of his arn1Y through the pass, and after surprising and scattering some Ron1an troops in the pass itself, fixed his canlp in the district of .l\llifae.