There was another breakthrough almost at once. Hanno stayed with the reserve from then on. That attack and another one were repulsed before his strength began to falter. His shield felt as if it were a wooden practice one, his sword as if it were made of lead. Eyeing the others sidelong, he saw the exhaustion creeping into their faces too. The Roman attack showed no signs of abating. Trumpet calls even signified that reinforcements might be arriving. Fingers of desperation tickled the back of Hanno’s neck; bile rose in his throat. His gaze moved to where Sapho’s phalanx stood. They looked no less hard-pressed. If anything, they had given way a little: their lines were closer to the remaining wagons — seven in total — than his soldiers were.
As he wondered what to do, the decision was taken from his hands.
‘Cavalry, sir!’ Mutt roared. ‘Cavalry coming!’
Hanno elbowed his way through to where Mutt stood. His heart sank as he took in the horsemen trotting from the point where the road exited the trees. In good order, on fresh mounts, armed with thrusting spears, they would be unstoppable. ‘Shit.’
‘A big fat, smelly shit, sir,’ said Mutt in his usual sombre tone. ‘What shall we do?’
‘Start to fall back,’ replied Hanno at once. He would have preferred to confer with Sapho, but by the time he did that, the enemy horsemen would be upon them. ‘I want deeper ranks — five would be good. Any pila on the ground are to be picked up. Have the men at the front use them to keep off the cavalry. The phalanx is to move back at an angle so that the last few wagons have a chance to reach the ford. Sapho will see what we’re doing, if he’s not already doing the same.’
‘Aye, sir.’ Mutt moved out of rank and off to their right, bellowing orders. Hanno did the same to his left. He kept glancing over his shoulder at the enemy. Hope gripped him. The legionaries were holding back, clearly waiting for the cavalry to charge before they attacked again. If they seized their chance, they might pull it off yet. ‘Assume five-rank depth, quickly. Grab any javelins you see,’ he growled. ‘Hand them to the men at the front. When you’ve done that, I want you to start walking backwards, towards those wagons. Keep your eyes on the enemy. Be ready for the Roman horse.’
His soldiers moved fast, but that didn’t stop Hanno’s stomach from twisting in knots. Perhaps one man in three had a pilum now, and that wasn’t enough to stop a cavalry charge. To stand against such an attack, infantry formations needed so many spears protruding that they resembled a hedgehog. Without that protection, foot soldiers would break before a sustained cavalry assault. Hanno hated the inevitability of it. Unless they could make it to the river, many of them were about to die. Baal Hammon, watch over us, he prayed.
They shuffled towards the ford, Hanno directing operations from the left of the front rank, Mutt aiding him from a similar position on the far right. Hanno thanked the gods when he saw that Sapho’s phalanx was also retreating. He twisted his head to eye the soldier behind him. ‘What are the wagons doing? Pass it on.’
The word moved swiftly to the back rank, and returned as fast. ‘Five wagons left on this bank, sir, the first of which is about to enter the water.’
The grain was across, thought Hanno with satisfaction. Yet part of him didn’t want to give up until all of their booty had been transferred to the far bank. Was there time? His gaze returned to the front; he cursed. There were mutters of dismay from among his men, and their lines wavered a little. The enemy cavalry had seen through their plan and were advancing at a walk. After a few paces, this became a trot. ‘Back,’ roared Hanno. ‘Move back. Closer to the wagons!’ Against them, they would have some chance of holding back the Roman horses. A fierce hunger to succeed against the odds swelled in his heart.
That was when he glanced to his left and was stunned to see the other phalanx breaking apart. Sapho’s soldiers were turning and running. They were perhaps thirty paces from the water’s edge, so there was every chance of making it before the Roman cavalry arrived. For an instant, Hanno watched in utter disbelief. Why hadn’t he been told? It felt as if they had been abandoned — and that was without the thought that they could have held the Romans back. Furious now, he tried to catch a glimpse of his brother amid the chaos, but failed. He dragged his attention back to his own unit, which was further from the water. Despite his wish to save the last wagons, Hanno would have to copy what Sapho had done, or he risked not just enflankment by the enemy on his unprotected side, but being completely overrun.
His mouth had opened to issue the command when horror filled him. The Roman horse had been urged into a full charge. The ground rumbled with the thunder of hooves. Interspersed in the din, he could hear the cavalrymen shouting encouragement at each other. If he ordered his troops to retreat now, they would be cut down in their droves. What other choice did they have, though? Fuck you, Sapho, he thought furiously. Why didn’t you wait? If we had regrouped around the wagons, it would have given most of the men the opportunity to ford the river. Now, he had no choice.
‘Retreat!’ he shouted. ‘Retreat! Into the river! Retain your weapons!’
The Libyans did not need telling twice. They spun, cursed as they banged into one another, elbowed slower men out of the way. Then, in a disorganised mass, they ran. Many disregarded Hanno’s order and dropped their shields and swords. He cursed them roundly, but it was easy to understand their panic. There were few troops in the world who could stand fast against a wave of charging horsemen. The fact that most horses would not crash into a mass of soldiers was irrelevant. The threat of being trampled to death was enough, Hanno thought bitterly as men streamed away to either side. He would not run, however. ‘Give me that!’ He made to grab a pilum from a bearded Libyan, one of his oldest veterans. Shamefaced, the man paused. ‘What are you going to do, sir?’
‘Stay here. Defend my men.’
‘That’s a death sentence, sir.’
‘Maybe so.’ Hanno tugged on the javelin shaft, but to his surprise, the Libyan didn’t let go.
‘I’ll stay as well, sir.’
Hanno could see the fear bright in the soldier’s eyes, but his chin was firm. He released his grip. ‘Very well. Grab a couple of others if you can. Only those with javelins. When the Romans get close, run right at them, screaming like a lunatic. Take down the riders, but if you can’t, stab their horses. Do it quick, and move on to the next one. Kill or wound as many as you can.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Hanno gave him a tight nod, and the man vanished. A glance at the Romans. A savage oath. They were less than fifty paces away, pounding in at a full gallop. Hanno tried to ignore his fear and thought of how many of his men might get away if they could just break the enemy line. It was an insane thought, but something wouldn’t let him run. Hannibal would have to acknowledge his bravery if he did this. Sheathing his bloody sword, he scooped up a discarded pilum. He caught the attention of another Libyan who had not fled. This man was wounded in the leg, which explained why he’d stayed. Hanno gave him a fierce grin. ‘Ready to give the whoresons a bloody nose?’
An eager nod. ‘Aye, sir!’
Just before the Romans hit, Hanno saw Mutt nearby. A handful of men armed with pila were clustered around him. He felt no surprise, just an overwhelming sense of comradeship with his dour second-in-command. One last look over his shoulder: a sense of relief. Perhaps half his men were already in the river. Sapho’s troops, who had been closer to the water, would be faring even better. Their total casualties would not be catastrophic. By anyone’s standards, the patrol had been a success — even if he didn’t survive it. Hanno readied his javelin as if it were a spear, preparing to sell his life dearly.