1Moreover, the whole affair presented a scene that was changing, uncertain, ugly and pitiable: scattered from their comrades, some gave way, others pursued; 1they observed neither standards nor ranks; 1wherever danger had caught each man, there he stood his ground and fought it off; 1arms and missiles, horses and men, enemies and citizens were mingled together; 1nothing was done by plan or command; chance ruled everything. 2So much of the day had passed, and even then the outcome was uncertain. 3At last, when all were faint with toil and heat, Metellus, seeing that the Numidians were pressing less hard, gradually brought his soldiers together into one body, restored the ranks, and placed four legionary cohorts facing the enemy's infantry.
3A large part of the latter, exhausted, had sat down on the higher ground. 4At the same time he begged and urged the soldiers not to lose heart and not to let a fleeing enemy conquer: the enemy had neither camp nor any fortification to make for in retreat; 4everything depended on their arms. 5But not even Jugurtha was idle meanwhile: he went round and encouraged his men; 5he renewed the battle and with his picked men tried everything himself; 5he helped his own men, pressed hard on the enemy where they wavered, and held off those whom he knew to be steady by fighting from a distance.