CHAPTER NINETEEN.
OLD SERGE MUSES.
"Sure you are not hurt, boy?" said Serge, as they stood waiting by thechariot for further orders, their sturdy little driver taking advantageof the opportunity to carefully attend to his steeds.
"Hurt? No!" cried Marcus. "I only feel hot and excited."
"Of course you do; but I don't suppose we shall move now for some time,till the captain's scouts that he must have sent out bring back news ofthe enemy, and then he will camp for the rest of the night. He oughtto. I should, so as to give the men a rest ready for when the enemyattacks again in the morning."
"But you said that the enemy were beaten and driven away."
"So they were, boy, but in a war like this they will only make for themountains and collect together again ready for a fresh attack as soon asthey get the chance."
"But will they keep on doing that?" cried Marcus.
"Of course they will whenever they feel strong enough; and when they areweak they will give up."
"Oh, I don't understand it a bit," cried Marcus.
"Well, you don't want to understand it," said Serge. "That's for thegenerals and big captains to do. All that they want of us is to fight."
"But why is this war?" said Marcus, impatiently.
"Oh, I suppose it's because some of the tribes have been attacking andplundering and carrying off cattle and goods of the country people, tillthe chiefs say: This sort of thing must be stopped, and they collect anarmy, talk it over with the peaceful tribes who are ready to be friends,and then with their help march into the enemy's country, conquer it, andbring them to their senses. That's what we do, and used to do--bringall these nations round about under the rule of Rome. These we arefighting with now are the peoples off to the north and west. They havegot all sorts of names, but I suppose they are all Gauls. But now lookhere: a bit ago you were so tired out with your long march that youwanted to sleep. Half the night hasn't gone, so the best thing you cando is to curl yourself up and sleep till sunrise as hard as you can."
"Sleep!" cried Marcus, mockingly. "Who's to sleep at a time like this?"
"A soldier, of course, and be glad to when he gets the chance."
"Oh, I couldn't sleep," cried Marcus. "I feel all bubbling over withexcitement, and if I were to lie down I should seem to be galloping overthe fields again."
"Nonsense! You lie down and have a sleep. You always used to mind whatI said when I tried to teach you. Do so now, and get some rest."
"But suppose they come back and attack us again?"
"Well, we shall have warning. There are scouts and sentries out in alldirections, and you would have plenty of time to get up into thechariot, I dare say. There, lie down."
"Don't you order me, Serge," said the boy, peevishly. "You are not myofficer."
"No, we are only comrades, and I am not ordering, only telling you forthe best. There, get a sleep, boy, while you can."
"Well, I'll lie down, but I can't sleep, Serge. I shall be thinkingabout the war, and the tribes that are coming to attack us, all thenight."
"Very well, boy, think about them, then, as you are so anxious tounderstand all about the war. I'd be sure and call you when you arewanted. I am not greedy about having all the fighting to myself. Youshall have your share."
"Very well," said Marcus, and selecting a place that seemed a littleless hard than the stony ground in their close neighbourhood, and wherehe was not likely to be trampled upon by any of the chariot horses, hethrew himself down, but started up again in alarm with his hand seekinghis sword, for a big lump of stone dimly-seen in the darkness suddenlyseemed endowed with life, springing up to give itself a rough shake, andassuming the form of a big dog.
"Why, Lupe, you here?" cried Marcus, laughing. "Look here, Serge; hewas lying here curled up, asleep. Where's he been all the time?"
"Taking care of himself and waiting for us to come back, I suppose.There, do you want a lesson in campaigning, boy?"
"No, not to-night, thank you. You said I was to go to sleep."
"Of course; and here's your lesson all the same. Make Lupe lie down,and use him for a warm, dry pillow. Not a bad thing at a time likethis. A deal better than a horse, for it isn't always you can get themto lie down, and a horse's hoofs are rather bad company if he getsrestless in the night."
Half irritably in his exalted state Marcus turned away with a gesture ofannoyance.
"Down, Lupe! Lie down!" growled the old soldier; and as the dogobediently subsided on the rough ground, the boy thought better of it,sank upon his knees, and then awkwardly in his armour adjusted himselfso that he could lay his face with his cheek in the rough hair about thedog's neck.
There was something comforting and friendly in the deep, satisfied sighLupe gave, holding quite rigid as he stretched himself out, while Marcussaid to himself:
"Oh, this is stupid! I shall never go to sleep like this;" and he laystaring right before him at the indistinctly seen chariot with its pairof horses standing together, one or the other every now and then givingan impatient stamp or whinnying softly.
Beyond them and their driver all was dark confusion, out of which camemurmurs of voices, the jingling of armour, and a suggestion of peoplepassing to and fro.
And then the darkness seemed to lighten and horses were tearing along atfull gallop with the enemy in front, and Marcus gave a sudden start, hissharp movement producing a low remonstrant growl from his pillow.
"What was that?" thought Marcus. "Why, I must have been asleep. Ah,there it is again!" For from somewhere out of the darkness there came alow agonised cry which made the boy sit up and listen.
"Are you there, Serge?" he said, softly.
"Yes. What is it, boy?" came from the back of the chariot, where theold soldier had seated himself; and he rose at once and crossed the fewyards which lay between him and his young companion's resting place.
"Did you hear that?" asked Marcus.
"Oh, yes, I heard it, boy."
"What was it?"
"A wounded man. They have been carrying some in from over yonder."
"How horrible!" whispered the boy. "Let's go and help him."
"No, go to sleep. You can do nothing there."
"Sleep!" cried the boy, reproachfully. "Who can sleep with anyonesuffering like that?"
"You," said Serge, quietly. "You have been asleep an hour, and ofcourse there have been plenty of poor fellows carried by, enemies andfriends."
"But--" began Marcus.
"Go to sleep again, boy. You can do nothing there. We'd go together ifwe could help."
Marcus was silent as he lay resting on one hand, listening and thinkingwhat it was his duty to do, but listening in vain, for no such soundagain broke the silence of the night, while after standing by him a fewminutes, Serge walked away into the darkness and then returned to hisseat in the chariot, where he too, utterly devoid of all inclination tosleep, sat and thought about their position there and asked himselfwhether it was yet too late to reverse their plans, and seeking thefirst opportunity to hurry his young companion away from the scenes ofcarnage and the dangers by which they were surrounded.
"I have done wrong all along," he muttered to himself. "I went againstmy orders, and some day I shall have to face the master and answer formyself. Yes," he muttered, "I must take him back." And with the fullintention, as he sat there leaning his left shoulder against the side ofthe chariot, of leaving the little rear-guard of the army as soon as hecould, Serge changed his position to the other side of the chariot torest his right side, and as he subsided against the hard iron-boundwood, listening for danger, the galloping-in of scouts, or some otherwarning of another night attack, a fresh current of thoughts began tochase each other through his brain.
"No," he said, "I won't go, and if I would he'd say again that hewouldn't come. He's a soldier's son, and it comes natural to him. Whatam I growling at myself for? I didn't set him to run away. He came ofhimself, and if I hadn't
done the same he'd have been here all alonewithout me to watch over him, take his part, and help him, same as hedid me when I was attacked. Why, after all, everything's gone right andhappened as it should. We are in for it, and must go on. But thiswon't do; I mustn't go to sleep." And springing up, the old soldiertook a few steps up and down like a sentry, before stopping short andgoing down on one knee, steadying himself the while by means of hisspear, and bending over Marcus, who was sleeping heavily, his breathcoming regularly as he lay there deaf to everything that was going onaround, while the dog uttered a low whine and lifted his heavy tailslowly, to beat with it softly upon the ground.
"He's all right," said Serge, and he backed away again, to march up tothe horses, pat them, and then say a word or two to their driver, whowas lying upon his back just in front, sleeping heavily and quiteunconscious of Serge's presence.
The latter took another turn or two up and down, thinking deeply thewhile.
"Yes," he said softly, "what I told the boy's about right, and I cantell him some more to-morrow, for out here in the darkness and silenceall my old soldiering seems to be coming back. We are a sort ofrear-guard, that's what we are, and it's our job to keep some milesbehind the main army, to prevent the enemy from closing in and harassingour troops, besides seeing that they carry out the general's orders andbring up the food and forage they as a conquered people are ordered tosupply. Conquered people!" he said, with a contemptuous ejaculation."Why, it's like digging a channel through a bed of dry sand. I knowwhat this country is. If we go on like this for a few days we shall beright in amongst the mountains, full of holes and hiding-places wherethe enemy can lurk, and as fast as they are driven off they will be likedry sand, as I said, and come running back again."
Serge went and bent over Marcus again to satisfy himself that the boywas sleeping deeply, and uttered a low grunt that might have beenlearned of the swine he tended at the farm.
"Do him no end of good," he muttered--"strengthen his legs." And hebegan to walk up and down again, pausing once or twice to pat the horsesand growl at the driver, who was sleeping hard with his mouth wide open.
"Yes," muttered the old soldier, "a good sleep will do the boy good--harden his legs. I said my old soldiering was coming back; I wish myold legs would come back and be the same as they used to when I couldwalk for weeks, instead of aching like this when I haven't had to walk,but have been riding all day. Hah!" he sighed, as he lowered himselfdown into the back of the chariot to lean against the side once more."I can keep watch over him just as well sitting down as standing up. Idon't see that I need watch at all when the boy's got a pillow with aset of teeth like a rat trap that will take fast hold of anyone who cameto interfere with him. But there's the master. We have got to meetsome day, and I shall have to give an account of myself. `What were youdoing away from the farm?' he'll say. `Watching over your boy, master,'says I. That will have him on the hip. That's my only chance, the onlything that will save me."
Serge's grim face relaxed, and he rolled about in his seat, chucklingsoftly.
"It will get me off," he said; "it will get me off with the master. Hewon't be very hard on me after that. It aren't quite honest, for Inever thought a bit about the boy when I went away. But I did mean totake him back, and I'd have done it too, and stopped with him, only hewas too much for me. Ah, he's a clever one. He's only a boy, but he'sgot a lot of man in him, and when he gets ripe, you mark my words," hesaid, softly, staring hard at the dimly-seen driver the while, "he'll beas big a man as his father. I don't mean as to size; like as not he'llbe bigger. I mean as to his head. It aren't quite fair, and maybe it'sa bit like deceiving the master to answer him like that when he says,`What are you doing there?' and I says, `Watching over your boy,master,' But I am going to watch over him, and I'll stick to him, andI'll die for him if I'm obliged; and you can't say that arn't honest."
Serge bent forward and literally glared at the sleeping driver, whomuttered something in reply.
"Ah, you may say what you like," muttered Serge, "but that will behonest; and if you put that in one side of the balance, and my forsakingthe old place when I was told to stay, in the other, they'll weighpretty much alike. Yes, I'll watch over him, master, like a man, justas I would have done if he had been my own, for somehow I always seemedto like him, and I suppose I should have felt just about the same if hehad been mine. It's precious dark and quiet enough now. I don'tsuppose we shall be disturbed before daylight, for the enemy got morethan they expected, so I may just as well sit and rest. I can watchover him just the same, and--" Serge's next utterance was notunderstandable if treated as words, but perfectly plain if considered asa snore, for he had sunk sideways till his head rested on the hard edgeof the car, while at regular intervals he gave vent to a series of deepgruff tones which sounded as if his neck were bent at such a severeangle that there was not room for his breath to pass comfortably roundthe corner.
It was not comfortable for him, for though he was sleeping very soundly,his rest was uneasy, consequent upon which he began to dream in atroubled way about being at home; and his busy brain put its owninterpretation upon the sounds that rose from his chest and interferedwith the soundness of his sleep, so that, half awakened, he lay backlistening to his own snoring and attributed it to something else,gradually awakening more and more the while.
"Hark at that!" he muttered. "And after all the trouble I took to mendthat bit of fence! Talk about sheep always following one anotherthrough a gap, why they are nothing to swine! They want a gap, too, forthe leader to go through, but an old boar big with that snout of his andthem tusks, he'll bore and bore and bore till he makes a little hole abig un, and once he gets his snout in he drives on till he gets rightthrough. Now, I've mended that hole so as you'd have thought it wasquite safe; but hark at that! He's got right through into the garden,and the old sow and the young uns has followed him. But just wait a bittill I get my staff, and I'll make such music as will bring MasterMarcus out to ask me if I am killing a pig. There's no room about theplace to please them, no miles of acorn and chestnut forest so that theycan fill themselves as full as sacks, but they must come into my gardenand raven there! Nothing will do for them but my melons and cucumbers!Well, we'll just see about that."
Serge rose from his seat, after taking hold of the spear that he hadrested against the side of the chariot, and with his eyes closely shuttook a couple of steps forward, and then stopped short with his eyeswide open, as he stared wildly round in an absolute state of confusionand strove hard to make out where he was.
For some moments his mind was a complete blank, and the darkness seemedimpenetrable, while his mind absolutely refused to answer the mentalquestion--Where am I?
Then he knew, and there was fierce anger in the low tones of his voice,which formed the self-accusatory words:
"Why, I've been asleep!"
He struck a sharp blow with the staff of his spear; but it was not atthe imaginary patriarch of the home herd, but at his own head, which wassaved from harm by his helmet, the stroke causing a sharp soundsufficiently loud to make Lupe utter an ominous growl, and the horseswhere they were tethered start and stamp.
"And sarve you right too!" growled Serge, removing his helmet, which hehad knocked on one side, and softly rubbing one spot that had felt thebottom edge keenly. "And here have I been going on about being honestand keeping a true watch over that boy! Here, I'm proud of myself, Iam! If I go to sleep again it shall be standing up, anyhow." Andpulling himself together he shouldered his spear and commenced pacing upand down, to keep it up steadily hour after hour, only pausing to listenfrom time to time, to hear nothing more suspicious than the regularnight sounds of a camp surrounded by sentries and scouts and on thewatch for an enemy known to be near at hand.
Marcus slept well till daybreak, when the first warning of the enemy'smovements was given, and he sprang to his feet, to find himself face toface with Serge.
"What was that?" he cried.
"T
rumpet, boy. Make ready. The enemy's going to stir us up again."