41.  A furious conflict now ensued, but with very unequal spirit [in the combatants].  Anger, hope, and ardour for conquest, hurried on the Romans to battle, thirsting for their enemy’s blood; while the Samnites, for the most part reluctantly, as if compelled by necessity and religious dread, rather stood on their defence, than made an attack.  Nor would they, familiarized as they were to defeats, through a course of so many years, have withstood the first shout and shock of the Romans, had not another fear, operating still more powerfully in their breasts, restrained them from flying.  For they had before their eyes the whole scene exhibited at the secret sacrifice, the armed priests, the promiscuous carnage of men and cattle, the altars besmeared with the blood of victims and of their murdered countrymen, the dreadful curses, and the direful form of imprecation, drawn up for calling down perdition on their family and race.  Prevented by these shackles from running away, they stood, more afraid of then countrymen than of the enemy.  The Romans pushed on both the wings, and in the centre, and made great havoc among them, stupified as they were, through their fears of the gods and of men.  A faint resistance is now made, as by men whom fear alone prevented from running away.  The slaughter had now almost reached to their standards, when, on one side, appeared a cloud of dust, as if raised by the marching of a numerous army:  it was Spurius Nautius, (some say Octavius Metius,) commander of the auxiliary cohorts:  for these raised a greater quantity of dust than was proportioned to the number of men, the servants of the camp, mounted on the mules, trailing boughs of trees, full of leaves, along the ground.  Through the light thus obscured, arms and standards were seen in front; behind, a higher and denser cloud of dust presented the appearance of horsemen bringing up the rear.  This effectually deceived, not only the Samnites, but the Romans themselves:  and the consul confirmed the mistake, by calling out among the foremost battalions, so that his voice reached also the enemy, that “Cominium was taken, and that his victorious colleague was approaching,” bidding his men “now make haste to complete the defeat of the enemy, before the glory should fall to the share of the other army.”  This he said as he sat on horseback, and then ordered the tribunes and centurions to open passages for the horse.  He had given previous directions to Trebonius and Caedicius, that, when they should see him waving the point of his spear aloft, they should incite the cavalry to charge the enemy with all possible violence.  Every particular, as previously concerted, was executed with the utmost exactness.  The passages were opened between the ranks, the cavalry darted through, and, with the points of their spears presented, rushed into the midst of the enemy’s battalions, breaking down the ranks wherever they charged.  Voluminius and Scipio seconded the blow, and taking advantage