Boncar,'9 one of the king's officers, a energetic soldier, was selected for the task. He was with 4ooo infantry and zoo horsemen and he had a good prosp of gaining rewards if he brought back Masinissa's head, o: what would afford measureless gratification-captured 1. alive. Making a surprise attack on the plunderers when tl were suspecting no danger, he cut off an enormous number men and cattle from their armed escort and drove Masinissa himself with a few followers up to the summ mIt of the mountain. He now regarded serious hostilities as at an end, and after despatching his capture of men and cattle to the king, sent back also the bulk of his troops whom he lom he considered unneceasary for what remained of the fighting, ghting, retaining only 500 infantry and zoo mounted men. With these he hastened in pursuit of Masinissa who had left the heights and, catchin g 址m in a narrow valley, he blocked both entrances and inflicted a very severe loss on the Maesulii. Masinissa with not more than fifty troopers got away throunknown to his pursuers. Boncar, however, kept on his track and overtook him in the open country near Clupea where he surrounded hips, so completely that the whole party were killed with the exception of four who with Masinissa, himself wounded, slipped out of his hands during the fray. Their flight was observed and the cavalry were sent in pursuit. They spread over the plain, some making a short cut to head off the five fuitives, whose flight brought them to a large river. Dreading the enemy more than the river, they spurred their horses without a moment's hesitation into the water, and the rapid current carried them down stream. Two were drowned before their pursuers' eyes, and it was believed that Masinissa had perished. He, however, with the two survivors.landed amongst the bush on the other side. This was the end of Boncar's pursuit, as he would not venture into the river and did not believe that there was any one now left for him to follow. He returned to the king with the baseless story of Masinissa's death, and messengers were sent to carry the zood news to Carthage. The report soon spread .夕几J、.户 throughout Africa, and affected men's minds in very different ways. Masinissa was resting in a secret cave and treating his wound with herbs, and for some days kept himself alive on what two troopers brought in from their forays. As soon as wound was sufficiently healed to allow him to bear比e movements of the horse he started with extraordinary boldness on a fresh attempt to recover his kingdom. During his journey he did not collect more than forty horsemen, but when he reached the Maesulu and made his identity known, his appear= ance created intense excitement. His former popularity and the unhoped-for delight of seeing him safe and sound, after they had believed him dead, had such an effect that in a few days 6ooo infantry and 4000 cavalry had gathered round his standard. He was now in possession of his kingdom, and began to devastate the tribes who were friendly to Carthage, and the territory of the Masaesulii, which formed part of the dominions of Syphax. Having thus provoked Syphax into hostilities, Masinissa took up a position on some mountain heights between Cirto and Hippo, a situation which was every way advantageous.