CHAPTER XX: MOUNTAIN WARFARE
The gladiators sprang to their feet as their leaders returned to them,and eagerly questioned them as to the news that had so reanimatedthem. But they only replied, "Beric will tell you," and Beric wasobliged to mount a rock near the spot where they had been feasting,and to repeat to the whole of the assembly his plan for the campaignagainst the Romans. Loud shouts greeted his speech, the Gauls andBritons clashing their swords against their shields as was theircustom, and the others signified their approval each after themanner of his country.
"Beric is our leader! Beric is our leader!" they shouted. "We willfollow him to the death." When the tumult had subsided, Beric raisedhis hand for silence.
"I am willing to accept the leadership," he said; "but if I mustlead I must be obeyed. In a warfare like this everything dependsupon the orders of him who commands being carried out promptlyand without question. I only accept the command because, althoughyounger than most of you, I have already fought the Romans oftenand successfully. Each of you will remain under your respectivechiefs, who will act as my lieutenants, and all must be ready tosacrifice their own wishes and their own opinions to the generalwelfare. Those whom I order to fight will fight, I know; those whomI tell off to fell trees, to raise obstacles, or to pile stones onthe edge of precipices, must labour with equal zeal; while thosewho are despatched to drive up cattle, or to guard them until neededin the forest, will know that their turn for active fighting willcome in good time. The man who disobeys me dies.
"It is only by acting as one man and under one leader that we canhope to resist successfully. You are free men, and may considerit humiliating thus to obey the orders of another; but the Romansare free men too, and yet they submit to the severest discipline,and without the slightest question obey the orders of their general.So it must be here. If all are disposed thus to follow me I acceptthe command. Let those who cannot so submit themselves withdrawand fight in their own fashion. They shall be free to depart, noneharming them."
A great shout followed the conclusion of Beric's speech, and thewhole of those present lifted up their hands and swore implicitobedience to him. The next few days were spent in making a carefulexamination of the mountains above Cosenza, and fixing upon thepoints where an active resistance could be best made.
"We must have missiles," Beric said one day when his lieutenantswere gathered round him. "We will not begin the war until theRomans do so, but we must have weapons. Boduoc, you will tomorrowtake the whole of my band and descend to the plain, fall upon thetown of Castanium at daybreak; the bands of Victor and Marsus willaccompany you and will be also under your orders. My orders arestrict, that no one is to be injured unless he resists. Tell theinhabitants that we wish them no harm. Ransack the armourers' shopsfor arrow and javelin heads, and search all the private houses forweapons; also bring off all the brass, copper, and iron you canfind, with every axe head and chopper in the town. We can erectcharcoal furnaces here similar to those we used at home, and soprovide ourselves with an ample store of missiles. Bring off fromthe carpenters' shops any seasoned wood you can find suitable forthe making of bows. Touch no gold or silver ornaments of thewomen--the metals are useless to us here--neither take garments norspoil of any other kind. I would show them that, until driven toit, we are not the foes of the people at large. Above all frightenno woman; let them see that we, though gladiators and outlaws, areas well disciplined and as humane as their own soldiery."
Accordingly at sunset Boduoc marched away at the head of two hundredmen, and returned to the mountains late on the following afternoonwith a large store of arms and metal, Beric's orders having beenscrupulously carried out.
"You should have seen the wonder of the people," Boduoc said tohim, "when they saw that we meant them no harm, and that we touchedneither person nor goods save in the matter of arms. They gave ustheir best to eat, and many even accompanied us some distance onour return, overjoyed with the clemency we had shown the town."
There was no lack of charcoal, and in many places the stacks hadbeen left by the charcoal burners untouched when the bands firstappeared among the mountains. Those who had been accustomed to thesmelting of metals at home were appointed to cast heads for arrowsand javelins, others cut down and split up tough wood and fashionedthe shafts, others made bows; strong parties were set to work to felltrees and form obstacles in defiles where the rocks rose steeply,while others piled great heaps of stones and heavy rocks along theedges of the precipices. As yet there were no signs of the expectedfleet, and when the preparations were complete the bands againscattered, as it was easier so to maintain themselves in provisions;and, a party being left to watch for the arrival of the Romanlegions, Beric returned with his band to his former station.
"There will be plenty of time to gather again before they moveforward," he said to their lieutenants. "They will have to collectthe carts from all the country round, to land their stores and tomake their arrangements for victualling. They will know that it isno easy task that they are undertaking, and that they have desperatemen to meet. It will be a week after they land at the very earliestbefore they leave Cosenza."
For a fortnight Beric remained quietly passing the greater portionof his time at the farmhouse with Aemilia.
"It is terrible to me that you are going to fight the Romans,Beric," she said.
"I have no desire to fight the Romans, it is they who want to fightwith me," he replied; "and as I have no desire for crucifixion,or any of the other forms of death which they bestow upon theircaptives, I have no choice but to resist. As you do not think anythe worse of me, Aemilia, for having fought your countrymen before,I don't see that you can take it to heart that I am going to do itagain, especially as you have very small reason to be grateful tothem for the treatment that you and yours have received at theirhands. You must remember, dear, that as my wife, you are a Britonnow, and must no longer speak of the Romans as your people. Still,were it not for my countrymen, I would gladly bury myself with youin some cottage far up among the hills of Sicily, and there passmy life in quiet and seclusion. But without a leader the otherswould speedily fall victims to the Romans, and as long as the Romanspress us, I must remain with them."
At the end of the fortnight a messenger arrived saying that a greatfleet had arrived at the mouth of the Crathis River.
"I will from time to time send a messenger to you, Aemilia," Bericsaid as he took a tender farewell of his wife, "to tell you howmatters go with us; but do not alarm yourself about me, for sometime there is little chance of close fighting."
The bands gathered in their full force above Cosenza, and during theweek that elapsed before the Romans advanced renewed their labourat various passes through which it was probable that the enemy wouldmove. Some of the men were already skilled archers, and the resthad spent their time for the last fortnight in incessant practice,and could manage their weapons sufficiently well to be able to sendan arrow into a crowded mass of men.
It was with a feeling of satisfaction that the Roman column wasseen one morning issuing from Cosenza and moving up the road thatthere crossed the mountains. Once on the crest they proceeded tocut down trees and form a camp. While they were so occupied thegladiators remained on the defensive. Light armed troops had beenpushed by the Romans into the woods, but after being permittedto advance some distance the sound of a horn was heard, followedinstantly by a flight of arrows, and then by a rush of the gladiators,who drove these light armed troops before them, killing many, tillthey reached the protection of the spearmen.
Again and again during the ensuing week the Romans endeavoured topenetrate the woods, heavy armed troops accompanying the archers.Before they had penetrated far into the forest they found their wayarrested by obstacles--lines of felled trees with the branchespointing towards them, and these were only taken after severe loss,the defenders shooting through the green hedge, which was onlybroken through when working parties with heavy axes came up coveredby the spearmen. One party, pushing on incautiously, was su
ddenlyattacked on all sides, and after pouring in their missilesthe gladiators charged them, broke the ranks of the spearmen, anddestroyed the whole party, three hundred in number.
After this the advance was delayed until the fortified camp wascomplete and stored with provisions. Then the Roman army movedforward, and was soon engaged in a succession of combats. Everyvalley and ravine was defended, invisible foes rolled down massesof rock among them and a hail of arrows, and it was only when verystrong bodies of archers, supported by spearmen, climbed the heightson both sides that the resistance ceased. The Romans halted forthe night where they stood, but there was little sleep for them,for the woods rang with war cries in many languages. The sentrieswere shot or stabbed by men who crawled up close to them. At timesthe shouts became so threatening and near that the whole forcewas called to its feet to repel attack, but in the morning all wasquiet. As before, they were attacked as soon as they moved forward.No serious opposition was offered to the columns of spearmen, butthe light armed troops who covered the advance and formed a connectionbetween the columns were exposed to incessant attack.
The third day the Romans, after another disturbed night, againadvanced. This time they met with no opposition, and as they movedcautiously forward, wondered uneasily what was the meaning of thissilence. Late in the afternoon they learned. They had advanced, eachman carrying three days' provisions with him. Beric, being awarethat this was their custom, had during the night led his men somedistance down the hillside, and making a detour occupied beforemorning the ground the Romans had passed over. At midday a greatconvoy of baggage animals, laden with provisions, came along. Itextended over a great length, and came in straggling order, themen leading their animals, and making their way with difficultythrough the thick trees. Five hundred Roman soldiers were scatteredalong the line. Suddenly the sound of a horn rose in the woods, andin an instant, at points all along the line of the convoy, strongbodies of men burst down upon them.
In vain the Roman soldiers tried to gather in groups. The animals,frightened by the shouting and din, broke loose from their leadersand rushed wildly hither and thither, adding to the confusion. Greatlyoutnumbered, and attacked by foes individually their superiors bothin strength and skill of arms, and animated by a burning hatred,the Romans could do little, and the combat terminated in a fewminutes in their annihilation. The men with the convoy were allkilled, a line of gladiators having been posted through the woods,both ahead and behind it, before the attack began, so that nofugitives might escape either way to carry the news.
The animals were then collected, and their burdens taken off andexamined. The flour was divided up into parcels that a man couldeasily carry on his shoulder, and a large number of skins of wineset aside. All that could not be taken was scattered and destroyed,and the animals then slaughtered. As soon as it became dark theband descended the mountain side, marched for many miles along itsfoot, and then again ascended the hills, ready to oppose the Romanadvance; but there was no movement in the morning. Surprised andalarmed at the non-arrival of the train by nightfall, the generalsent a strong body of troops back to meet them with torches. Thesein time came upon the bodies of the men and animals, and at oncereturned with the news of the disaster to the camp.
"This is a terrible blow, Pollio," the general said to his son-in-law."We had reckoned on an obstinate resistance, but did not dream thatthe gladiators would thus oppose us."
"It puts me in mind, Muro, of the work in the fens of Britain; andindeed more than once I have thought I recognized the war crieswith which the Iceni attacked us. The strategy is similar to thatwe then encountered. Can it be possible that Beric is again opposingus? I heard during the short time we were in Rome that the Britonsin the palace of Nero had risen and escaped. I was too heartbrokenat the fate of my uncle and his family to ask many questions, andwas fully occupied in our preparations. My first thought would havebeen to find Beric out had I not been met on landing with the newsof the disgrace and death of Norbanus, and I shunned the palaceof Nero as if the pestilence had been there. No doubt Beric wouldhave left with the other Britons, and in that case he may well beat the head of those opposing us."
"The tactics they are adopting certainly look like it, Pollio; andif they continue to fight as they have done so far, we are likelyto have no better fortune than Suetonius had in his campaign againstthem. It is ten days since we left Cosenza, we have made but someten miles advance among the hills, and we have lost already eighthundred hoplites, and I know not how many light armed troops. Atthis rate our force will melt away to nothing before we have halfcleared this wilderness of rock and forest. Hitherto in theirrevolts the gladiators have met our troops in pitched battle, buttheir strength and skill have not availed against Roman discipline.But in such fighting as this discipline goes for little. They arefighting on ground they know, can choose their moment for attack,and hurl all their strength on one point while we are gropingblindly."
"But how can they have got through our lines in the night, Muro?"Pollio asked. "Our men were posted down to the edge of the foreston either side of the hills. There were two thousand under armsall night."
"But there was nothing to prevent them, Pollio, from descendingfar below the forest line and coming up again in our rear. Thisis what they must have done. Nor have we any means of preventingtheir doing so, for nothing short of a force strong enough to reachdown to the sea on either hand would prevent their passing us. Atany rate we must halt here for a time. The whole of our baggageanimals are destroyed, and nothing can be done until another trainis collected."
The war proceeded but slowly. The Romans indeed made some slightadvance, but they were worn out and harassed by incessant alarms.To prevent the recurrence of the disaster to the baggage train thesupplies were now carried along the plain at the foot of the hill,and then taken up under very strong escorts directly to the pointat which the army had arrived. The soldiers, worn out and dispiritedby constant alarms, became reluctant to advance unless in solidorder; and in this way five thousand men, taking nine days' provisionswith them, made their way through the heart of the hills until theyreached the southern slopes, and the sea lay before them. But theyoccupied only the ground on which they stood, and their passagebrought them no nearer to the end they desired. The fact that thearmy had made a passage right through the mountains was regardedas a triumph in Rome, and believing that the end was near freshreinforcements were sent to Muro to enable him to finish the campaignrapidly. His reports, however, to the senate left no doubt in theminds of those who read them as to the situation.
"We are fighting," he said, "an enemy who will not allow us tostrike him. Three months have passed since I entered the mountains,and yet I cannot say that I am nearer the end than I was when Ibegan. I have lost three thousand men, of whom half are spearmen.The gladiators have suffered but slightly, for they always burstdown in overwhelming numbers, slay, and retire. At least twentytimes my camps have been attacked; and although I have lost butone convoy, the difficulty and labour of victualling the troops isenormous. If the gladiators would but take to the plain we shouldannihilate them in the first battle. As it is, it is they who selectthe ground for action, and not we. The troops are utterly worn outand well nigh mutinous at what they consider a hopeless task. Youask me what had best be done. My own opinion is, that we shouldretire from the mountains and establish the troops in camps neartheir foot, so as to restrain the gladiators from making excursions,and to fall upon them when hunger drives them to leave the mountains.Treachery may then do what force has failed in.
"Among such a body there must be traitors, and when the waris apparently ended we may, through shepherds or goatherds, opencommunication with them. My great fear is, and always has been,that as we gradually press them south they may pour down on to oneof the villages on the straits, seize the boats, cross to Sicily,and take refuge in the mountains there, where they could laugh atour efforts to pursue them. I should advise that it should be announcedpublicly that our army, having traversed the whole mount
ains ofBruttium without meeting with a foe, the objects of the expeditionhave been attained, and the enemy may now be considered as a meremass of fugitives, whom it would be impossible to root out aslong as they take refuge among their fastnesses; but that for thepresent the army will be placed in a cordon of camps round thefoot of the mountains, by which means the fugitives will be starvedinto surrender. If this course is not approved I have but one otherto suggest, namely, that the whole of the population of southernItaly should be ordered to take part in the total destruction ofthe forests of Bruttium. Every tree must be cut down to the levelof the soil; every trunk and branch be burnt by fire. The taskwould be a tremendous one. The loss to the country around by thedestruction of the forests, wherein their flocks of sheep and goatsand their herds of swine find sustenance and shelter in winter,would be enormous, but thus, and thus alone, I am assured, canthese bands of gladiators be rooted out."
Muro's advice was taken, and the exulting gladiators beheld thetroops descending from the mountains to the plains below. Theirown loss had not exceeded three hundred men, and their shouts oftriumph rose high in the woods, and reached the ears of the Romansretiring sullenly down the slopes. In a few days the plan of theRomans became apparent. The camp in the pass above Cosenza wasstill strongly held, four well fortified camps were established inthe plains on either side of the hills, and Muro himself took uphis post at Rhegium, where two thousand legionaries were posted.The gladiators again broke up into bands, Beric returning to hisformer encampment, to the delight of Aemilia.
"You must not suppose that our troubles are over, Aemilia," hesaid. "We have indeed beaten them on our own ground, but we shallnow have to fight against famine. The wild animals have alreadybecome scarce. You may be sure that the villagers will be allowed tosend no more flocks or herds up the hills to pasture, and beforelong it will be necessary to make raids for food. You will seethat, emboldened by their successes, the men will become rash, andmay be cut off and defeated. As for us there is no fear; as longas we can pay for provisions we shall be able to obtain them, foralthough there may be difficulty in obtaining regular supplies,now that the troops are at Rhegium, all these upland farmers andvillagers will continue to deal with us, knowing that if they donot we shall take what we need without payment and perhaps burntheir houses over their heads."
It was not long, indeed, before Beric's predictions were verified.As soon as the provisions became scarce the bands on the otherside of the mountains recommenced their forays on the villagers,but from the Roman camps parties of soldiers were sent off afternightfall to the upper villages, and the marauders were severaltimes surprised and almost exterminated.
"We must be more and more careful," Beric said to Aemilia when heheard of one of these disasters. "The prisoners the Romans take willunder torture tell all they know, and it will not be long beforethe Romans ascertain the general position of our encampment. Theforce will dwindle rapidly. In the last two months they have lostwell nigh as many men as in the campaign in the mountains. Morethan that, I have seen several of the leaders, who told me theyhad determined, seeing that starvation was approaching them here,to endeavour to pass between the Roman camps with their bands, andregain the mountains beyond Cosenza, so as to establish themselvesfar north; and indeed I cannot blame them. But their retreat addsto our danger. So long as they roamed the eastern hills there wasno danger of a Roman force surprising us, but when they have gonesome of the captives may be forced to lead the Romans across thehills to our neighbourhood. Boduoc is vigilant and his scouts arescattered far round the camp, and at the worst we may have to carryout my plan of crossing to Sicily. At any rate he has my orderswhat to do in case of a sudden surprise. If I am absent, knowingevery foot of the wood now, he will at once make his way north,leaving it to me to rejoin him as I best can."
But upon one thing Beric had not reckoned. So long as the gladiatorswere in force among the mountains the country people on the slopesabove the straits were glad enough to purchase their safety bysilence. But as they heard of one band after another being crushedby the Romans, and learned that parties from the various campshad penetrated far into the hills without meeting with a singleopponent, their fear of the gladiators decreased. There were twothousand legionaries at Rhegium. These could crush the band thatremained somewhere about the crest of the hills with ease, andthey need no longer fear their vengeance. The Roman general wouldsurely pay a great reward for information that would lead tohis being able to deal a final blow to the gladiators. The farmerwith whom Aemilia lodged had no such thought. He had earned in thelast eight months as much as his farm had brought him in the threebest years since he inherited it. He found these terrible outlawsgentle and pleasant, ready to lend a hand on the farm if needful,and delighted to play with his children. As to their chief, he wasa source of never ending wonder to him. Gladiators were, accordingto his idea, fierce and savage men, barbarians who were good fornothing but to kill each other, while this tall man bore himselflike a Roman of high rank, conversed in pure Latin, and could evenread and write. Aemilia, too, had become a great favourite in thehouse. The farmer's wife wondered at seeing one, with two slavesto wait upon her, active and busy, interested in all that went on,and eager to learn every detail of the housework.
"I could manage a Roman household, Beric," she said. "I did soindeed all the time we were in Rome; but we may have to live in ahut, and I must know how to manage and cook for you there."
In Rhegium life was more cheerful than usual. Many of the upperclass of Rome, who shrank from the festivities of the court of Neroand yet dared not withdraw altogether from Rome, had their countryestates and villas along the coasts, where they could for a timeenjoy freedom and live according to their tastes. Berenice hadjoined Pollio three weeks before, when she found that he was likelyto remain stationed at Rhegium for some time. They lived with Muroin a villa a short distance from the town, and looking over thestraits.
"I should feel perfectly happy here, Pollio," Berenice said oneevening as she walked to and fro on the terrace with him, lookingat the water in which the moonlight was reflected, bringing up intoview the boats rowing here and there with pleasure parties withmusic and lanterns, "if it were not for the thought of Beric. Itis curious that he should be mixed up with both our lives. He wasmy playmate as a boy; he saved me at the massacre of Camalodunum,and restored me to my father. When we left Britain he was fightingagainst Suetonius, and we expected when we left that the news ofhis defeat and death would reach Rome before us. At Rome we heardbut vague rumours that Suetonius had not yet overcome the finalresistance of the Britons, and glad we were when Petronius was sentout to take his place, and we heard that gentler measures were tobe used towards the Britons.
"Then, after a time, when we were in Syria, came the news thatSuetonius had returned, bringing with him Beric, the British chief,with twenty of his followers, and my father at once wrote to theemperor praying him that clemency might be extended to him forhis kind action in saving my life. Then when you came out to SyriaBeric's name again came up. You had journeyed with him from Britainto Rome, and he had become your friend. Then a few months afterwardsa newcomer from Rome brought us the story of how your cousin Ennia,having turned Christian, had been condemned to the lions; how aBritish gladiator named Beric had sprung into the arena and cravedto fight the lion; how Nero had cruelly ordered him to do so unarmed;and how he had, as it seemed by a miracle, overcome the lion andbound him by strips torn from his mantle. Then again we learnedfrom one who came from Nero's court that Beric stood high in favourwith Caesar, that he was always about his person, and that rumourssaid he kept guard over him at night.
"Then again, when we returned to Rome, my father was at once orderedto take command of an expedition against some revolted gladiators,among whom were, it was said, the British captives who had createda disturbance in Nero's palace, well nigh killed the emperor,and after slaying many of the Praetorians, escaped. After you andmy father had left me at the house of my uncle Lucius I made manyinquiries, and
found that Beric had doubtless escaped with theother Britons, as he had never been seen in the palace that night.I heard too that it had been whispered by some of those who werepresent at the supper, that the fault had not been his. He hadbeen betrothed to your cousin Aemilia, and Nero, urged thereto byRufinus, a disappointed suitor, ordered Beric to bring her to theorgy. Upon his refusal Rufinus attacked him, and Beric slew himby dashing his head against a marble pillar. Then Nero called uponthe Praetorians, and the Britons ran in to the aid of their chief,and, defeating the Praetorians, escaped. It was the same night thatyour uncle died and Aemilia was missing. It may be that she fledwith Beric, knowing that she would be sacrificed to the fury of Nero.Is it not strange, Pollio, that this Briton should be so mixed upin both our lives?"
"It is indeed, Berenice. There is no one to whom I owe so much.First I owe your life to him, then I owe that of Ennia, my cousin;for although she died afterwards, it was in her father's house,and not a terrible and disgraceful death in the arena. And now wehave been fighting against him for months, and though of coursewe made the best of matters, there is no doubt that we had all theworst of it. We had twelve thousand men against a thousand, andyet Beric kept us at bay and inflicted some terrible blows uponus, for we lost a third of our number. After the first battle therewas no longer any doubt that Beric was the leader of our opponents.Even had we not heard them shout his name as they attacked us, wewho had fought against him in Britain would have recognized thathe was again our opponent; for he used the same tactics among themountains that he had done in the swamps. We know from prisonerswe have taken since that he was unharmed in the struggle with us,and certainly neither he nor any of his Britons have been amongthe raiding bands whom we have surprised and destroyed. Indeed theBritons never joined in any of the attacks upon the country peoplebefore we came hither. I have questioned many of the sufferers bytheir depredations, and none of them had seen among the plunderersany tall men with light hair. The only time that they have been seenon the plains was a fortnight before we landed, when they enteredCastanium and carried off all the arms. The Britons were among thatparty, and a Briton commanded it; but from the description it wasnot Beric, but was, I think, his principal follower, a man with aBritish name which I forget."
"Was it Boduoc?" Berenice asked. "I have often heard him speak ofa friend of his with such a name, and indeed he came once or twiceto see him when he was with us."
"That was the name--Boduoc," Pollio said. "They behaved with thegreatest gentleness, injuring no one and taking nothing, neitherjewels, nor ornaments, nor garments, but departing quietly aftertaking possession of all the weapons in the town.
"Your father reported the fact to Rome, bringing into prominencethe fact that this was the first time the Britons had ever descendedfrom the mountains, and that the inhabitants of Castanium were filledwith gratitude and admiration for the treatment they received. Lastweek he wrote to Rome saying that so far as he could learn all thebands that had not been destroyed had gone north, save one composedof Britons and Gauls, about fourscore in number, commanded by theBriton Beric, and suggested that as months might pass before theycould be captured, he should be authorized to treat with them,and to offer them full pardon if they would lay down their arms,especially as they had taken no part whatever in the misdeeds ofthe other gladiators, and had injured no one either in person orproperty. I know that it was a great disappointment to him, as wellas to us, when the letter came yesterday saying that they were tobe hunted down and destroyed, and that all not killed in fightingwere to be crucified. But we had better go in, Berenice, the dewis beginning to fall."
They entered the villa. The general was alone in the atrium.
"Is anything the matter, father?" Berenice asked, as she saw thathe looked disturbed.
"Yes, Berenice, I have received news that as a Roman general oughtto delight me, but which, as Caius Muro, your father and the fatherin law of Pollio, vexes me greatly."
"What is it, father?"
"A man arrived half an hour since saying that he had news ofimportance to communicate. He was brought in here. He told me hewas a cultivator whose farm lay far up on the hillside. For upwardsof a year he had, in fear of his life, as he said, been compelledto sell food to the bandits in the mountains. He acknowledgedthat he had been well paid, and that he had no cause of complaintagainst them; but he now professed a desire to do service to Rome,for which he evidently expected a handsome reward. I told him Icould not bargain with him. He had aided the enemies of Rome, andby his own account his life was forfeited, seeing that for a yearhe had been trafficking with them, instead of doing his duty andreporting their first visit to the authorities here.
"He said that he was not alone, and that most of the farmers highup on the hills had been compelled to do the same, and had keptsilence, knowing that the brigands would have burned their housesand slain their wives and families had they reported aught againstthem to the authorities, and that, indeed, they were altogetherignorant of the position of the camp of the outlaws beyond thefact that it was somewhere among the mountains. 'What, then, haveyou to report?' I said angrily, for I hate to have to do withtraitors. 'It is this,' he said: 'for some months there has beenliving a lady, supposed to be the wife of the chief of the outlaws,at a farm next to mine, belonging to one Cornelius. The chief oftenvisits her and stays there; five of his followers live in an outhouse adjoining the farm, and one of these is always on guard nightand day.
"'The chief himself is a very tall young man, and is called Bericby his followers. Four of them are also of his race, tall and veryfair like him. There is also a youth who lives in the house. Hebelongs to the band, but appears to be a native of Rome. He sometimescomes down and makes purchases in Rhegium. The house cannot beapproached from below without an alarm being given, owing to thestrictness of the watch; but I could lead a body of troops highup above it, so as to come down upon the rear of the house and cutoff all escape when another band comes up from below.' I told himthat his information was valuable, and that he was to come hereto-morrow evening at eight o'clock to lead a party of light armedtroops up into the hills."
"And you will send them, father?" Berenice broke in; "surely youwill not take advantage of this treachery."
"I have no choice but to do so," the general said gravely. "Asa father I would give my right hand to save the man who preservedyour life; as a Roman soldier my duty is to capture the outlaw,Beric, by any means possible. Pollio will tell you the same."
Berenice looked at her husband, who stood in consternation andgrief at the news. "Do you say this too, Pollio?"
Pollio did not answer, but the general spoke for him. "He can saynothing else, Berenice. To a Roman soldier duty is everything, andwere he ordered to arrest his own father and lead him to executionhe could not hesitate."
"But I am not a soldier--" Berenice began passionately.
The general held up his hand suddenly. "Hush, Berenice, not a wordfarther! I am a Roman general. If you say one word that would clashwith my duty I should order you to your chamber and place a soldierthere on guard over you. Now I will leave you with your husband;"and the general left the room.
"What do you say, Pollio? Will you suffer this man, who saved yourwife, who risked his life for your cousin, and is, as it seems,your cousin by marriage, to be foully captured and crucified?"
"I am a soldier, Berenice; do not tempt me to break my duty. Youheard what your father said."
Berenice stamped her foot. "Does your duty go so far, Pollio, thatlike my father you would place a guard at my door if I said aughtthat would seem to run counter to your duty?"
"Not at all, Berenice," he said with a smile; "say aught you like.I hear as a husband but not as a soldier."
"Well, that is something," Berenice said, mollified. "Well, Pollio,if you will not warn Beric of his danger I will do so. Have I yourpermission to act as I choose?"
"My full permission, dear. Do as you like; act as you choose; youhave beforehand my approval. If you fail and harm com
es of it Iwill stand by you and share your punishment; but tell me nothingof what you would do beforehand. I trust you wholly, but for mysake, if not for your own, be not rash. Remember, if by any meansit becomes known that you aided Beric to escape, both our livesare surely forfeited."
"Thank you, Pollio," Berenice said, throwing her arms round hisneck, "that is spoken like my husband. You shall know nothing, andI will save Beric."