The instant the natives made their appearance the treacherous guides, who were proceeding with the scouts at the head of the column, attempted to make their escape by climbing the mountain side.

The Arabs were starting off in pursuit, but Malchus checked them.
"Keep together," he shouted, "and on no account scatter; the enemy are upon us in force, and it behooves us all to be steady and deliberate in our action." A flight of arrows was, however, sent after the traitors, and most of them rolled lifeless down the slope again.
Hannibal's first care was to extricate his cavalry from the gorge.

This was performed with great difficulty, and they were drawn up in good order on the narrow piece of level ground between the gorge in which the river ran and the mountains bordering the side of the pass.
The light troops now ascended the hills on both sides, and speedily became engaged with the enemy.

The confusion in the bed of the torrent was tremendous.

Great numbers of men and animals were killed by the rocks and missiles from above, but more of the soldiers were trampled to death by the frightened horses.