On hearing of his uncle's death. followed价that of his cousin. Masinissa left 6Aain for Mauretania. Bava was king at the time, and Masinissa, by his earnest and humble entreaties; obtained from him a force of 4000 Moors to serve as an escort as he could not induce him to supply enough for warlike operations. With this escort he reached the frontiers of Numidia, h aving sent messengers in advance to his father's friends and his own. Here about 5oo Numidians joined him, and, as had been arranged, his escort of Moors returned to their king. His adherents were fewer than he expected, too few, in fact, with which to venture on so great an enterprise. Thinking; however, that by active personal effort he might collect a force which would enable him to achieve something, he advanced to Thapsus, where he met Lacumazes, who was on his way to Syphax. The king's escort retreated hurriedly into the town，and Masinissa captured the place at the first assault. Some of the royal troops surrendered, others who offered nce were killed. but the great majority escaped with their boy-king in the confusion and continued their journey to Syphax. The news of this initial success, slight though it was, brought the Numidians over to Masinissa, and from the fields and hamlets on all sides the old soldiers of Gala flocked to his standard and urged the young leader to win back his ancestral throne. Mazaetullus had considerably the advantage in point of numbers: army with which he had defeated Capussa as well .甲毛曰声J‘， hadSOm theeof the troops who had gone over to him after the king's death, and Lacumazes had brought very large reinforcements from Syphax.His total force amounted to i 5,0oo infantry and i0,ooo cavalry, but, though so inferior in both arms, Masinissa engaged him. The courage of the veterans and the skill of their commander, trained as he had been in the wars in Spain, carriedthe day; the king and the Protector with a mere handful of Masaesulians 18 escapedThus Masinissa won盘Carthaginianf territory.the throne of his ancestors. As he saw, however, .that a much serious contest awaited him with SvDhax. he thought it effect a reconciliation 砂a产lJ with his cousin, and sent to the boy assure him that if he would place himself in Masinissa's hands he would experience the same honourable treatment that Oezalces received from Gala. He also pledged his word to Mazaetullus that he should not suffer for what he had done, and, more than that, that all his property should be restored to him. Both Lacumazes and Mazaetullus preferred a moderate share of fortune at home to a life of ex呈e,0糯黑spsa一，e。‘all the efforts of the Carthaginians went over to Masinis.