Perpenna yielded, and led them to join the troops of Sertorius,
to the number of fifty-three cohorts.
XVI. All the nations within the Iber river[148] were now joining
Sertorius at once, and he was powerful in numbers; for they were
continually flocking and crowding to him from all quarters. But he was
troubled by the loose discipline and self-confidence of the
barbarians, who called on him to attack the enemy, and were impatient
of delay, and he attempted to pacify them with reasons. Seeing,
however, that they were discontented, and were unwisely pressing him
with their demands, he let them have their way, and winked at their
engaging with the enemy, in so far as not to be completely crushed,
but to get some hard knocks, which he hoped would render them more
tractable for the future. Things turning out as he expected, Sertorius
came to their aid when they were flying, and brought them back safe to
the camp. However, as he wished also to cheer their spirits, a few
days after this adventure he had all the army assembled, and
introduced before them two horses,[149] one very weak and rather old,
the other of a large size and strong, with a tail remarkable for the
thickness and beauty of the hair. There stood by the side of the weak
horse a tall strong man, and by the side of the strong horse a little
man of mean appearance. On a signal given to them, the strong man
began to pull the tail of the horse with all his might towards him, as
if he would tear it off; the weak man began to pluck out the hairs
from the tail of the strong horse one by one.
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