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 310 C2ESAR. troops, as if he were general, in all the frequent battles which he was compelled to fight. For he was in such want both of victualling for his men, and forage for his horses, that he was forced to feed the horses with sea-weed, which he washed thoroughly to take off its saltness, and mixed with a little grass, to give it a more agreeable taste. The Numidians, in great numbers, and well horsed, whenever he went, came up and commanded the country. Caesar's cavalry being one day unemployed, diverted themselves with seeing an African, who entertained them with danc- ing and at the same time playing upon the pipe to ad- miration. They were so taken with this, that they alighted, and gave their horses to some boys, when on a sudden the enemy surrounded them, killed some, pursued the rest, and fell in with them into their camp ; and had not Caesar himself and Asinius Pollio come to their assistr ance, and put a stop to their flight, the war had been then at an end. In another engagement, also, the enemy had again the better, when Caasar, it is said, seized a standard-bearer, who was running away, by the neck, and forcing him to face about, said, " Look, that is the way to the enemy." Scipio, flushed with this success at first, had a mind to come to one decisive action. He therefore left Afran- ius and Juba in two distinct bodies not far distant, and marched himself towards Thapsus, where he proceeded to build a fortified camp above a lake, to serve as a centre- point for their operations, and also as a place of refuge. Whilst Scipio was thus employed, Caesar with incredible despatch made his way through thick woods, and a coun- try supposed to be impassable, cut off one party of the enemy, and attacked another in the front. Having routed these, he followed up his opportunity and the current of his good fortune, and on the first onset carried Afra- nius's camp, and ravaged that of the Numidians, Juba,