“What, did you think,” she asked, laughing as he struggled up the bank, “that I, a Gaulish maiden, could not swim?”

“I did not think anything about it,” Malchus said; “I saw you pushed in and followed without thinking at all.”

Although they imperfectly understood each other’s words the meaning was clear; the girl put her hand on his shoulder and looked frankly up in his face.

“I thank you,” she said, “just the same as if you had saved my life.  You meant to do so, and it was very good of you, a great chief of this army, to hazard your life for a Gaulish maiden.  Clotilde will never forget.”

By the time they reached the bridge the column had moved on.  A more docile elephant had been placed in front, and this having moved across the doubtful portion of the bridge, the others had quickly followed.  Just as Malchus and his companion reached the end of the bridge they met her mother and sisters coming to meet them.

There was a smile of amusement on their faces as they thanked Malchus for his attempt at rescue, and Clotilde’s sisters whispered some laughing remarks into her ear which caused the girl to flush hotly, and to draw her slight figure indignantly to its full height.  Malchus retired to his tent to provide himself with fresh armour and sword, for he doubted not that those thrown aside had been carried over the bridge in the confusion.  The soldier had returned with his horse, and in a few minutes he took his place at the head of the Gauls who were drawn up near Hannibal’s tent.

The general himself soon appeared, and mounting his horse rode forward.  Malchus followed with his command, waving an adieu to the party who stood watching the departure, and not ill pleased that those who had before known him only as a helpless invalid, should now see him riding at the head of the splendid bodyguard of the great commander.

Hannibal was marching nearly due east, with the intention of forcing Scipio to give battle south of the Po.  A strong Roman fortress, Castegglo (Clastidium), lying at the foot of the hills, should have barred his way; but Hannibal, by the medium of one of his native allies, bribed the Roman commander to abstain from interrupting his march.  Then he pressed forward until on the third day after crossing the Po he came within sight of Piacenza, under whose walls the Roman army were ranged.

Scipio, after his disastrous cavalry conflict, had written to Rome urging his inability, with the force under his command, to give battle single handed to Hannibal, and begging that he might be at once reinforced by the army under Sempronius, then lying at Ariminum (Rimini).  The united consular armies, he represented, should take up their position on the river Trebia.

This river rose in the Apennines but a short distance from Genoa, and flowed nearly due north into the Po at Piacenza.  The Roman army there would therefore effectually bar Hannibal’s march into the rich plains to the east, and would prevent him from making across the Apennines and following the road by the coast, as they would, should he undertake such a movement, be able to fall on his rear.