CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
A GOOD COMPANION.
It was a curious sound, that made by the snow which lay so thicklybeneath sandal, hoof and wheel. As it was pressed together it literallysqueaked as if it possessed feeling and remonstrated at being crusheddown from light feathery snow into solid ice.
The sounds it gave forth were at times quite loud, and were repeatedback from the towering rocks on either side. Farther on it would be asoft crunch, crunch, mingled with the bumping of wheels and the plungingof a horse as it struggled to drag its hoofs out of some depression intowhich they had sunk, while, animated by the presence of their leader,the horsemen cheered on the animals they led, and the charioteers helpedtheir pairs to drag the heavy cars over the snow-covered track.
The pass grew more and more like some huge rift in the mountain whichseemed to have been split open by lightning, whose form the deep way hadin some degree assumed.
For a few hundred yards the train would be going straight, till an acuteangle was reached, when for a distance the line would be forced toalmost double back to another point and double back again. It was asavage kind of zig-zag which always led higher and higher, while as theyneared the top, the snow grew deeper and the walls on either sidecloser, while these were not only perpendicular but in many casesactually overhanging.
The horses' hoofs and the chariot wheels at last sank in so far, inspite of their being unburdened, that the leader commanded a halt forrest, and as this order was obeyed, Marcus, from where he stood panting,with one hand that had been used to push forward the chariot resting nowupon its back, felt awe-stricken at the strange silence that for amoment or two dwelt deep down in the jagged furrow, before it was brokenby the peculiar panting of exhausted men and steeds who were striving toregain their wind, while a mist formed by the breath rendered everythingindistinct along the line, as it rose visibly on high.
For plainly now from the front came the sound of contending warriors,apparently close at hand, though far enough away as yet, but increasedin power by being condensed into a narrow space, as it reverberatedalong the pass from wall to wall.
But not alone from the front; fainter, but minute by minute gatheringstrength, similar sounds came from the rear, telling plainly enough ofthe fight that was going on where the foot-men were holding back theadvancing enemy during a steady retiring movement that could hardly becalled a retreat.
"I don't like this, boy," whispered Serge, who was resting against theother side of the chariot.
"Are we being beaten, Serge?" asked Marcus.
"Oh, no, boy; they can't beat us. But they have got us in this narrowgully where only a few men back and front can fight at once. Why, youknow for yourself here are all our mounted troops and us with thechariots doing nothing but struggle through the snow, and never gettinga spear thrust at anyone. That's why I say I don't like it. I want tobe doing something, and when I say that it's just what everyone feels asit makes his blood hot. I say, boy, you don't feel cold now?"
"Cold?" cried Marcus. "Oh, no; I only want to keep going on."
"Wait a bit, boy, and you shall have enough of that. Our captain isn'tletting us rest just to amuse ourselves. It will be forward directly,and quite soon enough for the horses, for it's hard work for them; and Isay," continued the old soldier, jocosely, "this is a bit of a changefor you, my boy. You never thought there was a place like this so nearto Rome, where the people are lying grumbling now because it is so hotthat they cannot sleep, and panting just like old Lupe there."
For the dog was just between them, sitting up in the back of the car,sometimes turning his head towards one, sometimes towards the other,lolling out his vibrating tongue and sending out puffs of visiblevapour-like steam from Vesuvius.
"He's making believe that he's been working very hard," said Marcus,laughing, "when he's been riding all the time. But all this does seemvery strange, Serge. I couldn't have believed this was possible at theend of summer."
"Suppose not," growled the old soldier. "You see, you don't knoweverything yet, my boy. There's a deal to learn, as I found out yearsago when I first went to the war with the master. But it's all doingyou good, and you will like it by-and-by when you look back and think ofit all, for there isn't much time to think just now. I say, have yougot your wind again?"
"Oh, yes, I am ready, and the horses are beginning to leave off panting.I shall be glad when we make a fresh start. I want to get to the top."
"That's what we all want, boy--to get to the top of everything--but thesooner we get to the end of this narrow crack and can expect that itwill begin to open out and give us room to swing our arms, the better weshall all like it. The chief ought to be thinking of starting upafresh, for there's a deal of fighting going on back and front."
The sounds that came floating to their ears, echoed from the snowywalls, made this all plain enough, while the shouting from the rear grewnearer and nearer; and then it seemed that the rear-guard was comingmore rapidly on, just as the order to move forward came from the frontand passed along the line.
With a couple of halts for rest the troops plodded on and the horsesstruggled for another hour, and then, to the great delight of all, theword came back from the front that the height of the pass had beenreached, that the head of the column was beginning to descend, and thatnot far in front their comrades were holding the enemy in check.
This intelligence was like an invigorating breath of air to the littleforce. The men stepped out and dragged and pushed, and the cries of thedrivers had a cheering sound, as they called upon their horses in a toneof voice which made the struggling beasts exert themselves more thanever.
It was still terribly hard work, but there was no upward drag; the greatstrain was gone, for the descent was steep, and a great portion of theweight the chariot horses had to draw seemed to have been taken off.
The pass was still walled in by towering heights, but it was rapidlyopening out, and at the end of another hour the advance force, which hadcontented themselves with holding one of the narrowest portions of theway, had been strengthened, and pressed back the enemy.
There was another halt of the chariots, to enable a portion of thetroops from the rear to close up and pass through to the front to jointhe advance, a manoeuvre which the panting men, as they struggled overthe beaten snow, obeyed with alacrity, eager to get into action andbring to an end the hours of suspense through which they had passed incomparative inaction while listening to the echoes of the fighting goingon in front and rear.
"There, boy," said Serge, cheerfully, as they found time now to talk aswell as rest; "this don't look like being beaten, does it?"
"I don't know," said Marcus, dubiously. "We seem as much shut up asever."
"Nay, not us! Why, the walls are ever so much farther back, and we havegot more room to breathe."
"But it's horribly dark still," said Marcus, rather wearily, "and thesnow seems as deep."
"Not it," cried Serge. "And see how it's trampled down. Then it isn'tso cold."
"Not so cold!" cried Marcus. "Why, it's terrible!"
"Not it! Why, since we have been coming down a bit we have got moreinto shelter, and that cutting wind that came up the pass isn'twhistling about one's ears."
"Well, no," said Marcus. "That is better."
"Better, yes; and so's everything else. It won't be long now before thepass widens ever so much, and we shall begin to leave the snow behind;and then as soon as we get on to level ground the captain will get hishorse to work to drive the barbarians back towards the plains below, andthen--you'll see that our turn will come."
"To fight, Serge?"
"Yes, boy. He'll be letting loose his chariots then, and when he does,the fighting will be over for to-day."
"For to-day!" said Marcus, with a faint laugh.
"Well, yes, it must be getting towards morning, and before many hours weshall be seeing the sun again, and if we are lucky have made a jump outof winter into spring. But there, keep up yo
ur spirits, boy. I can seea good breakfast ahead, and a long sleep in the sunshine waiting for usdown below when we have cleared these flies out of our path. They are aworry now, but you'll see before long."
Marcus was destined to see more than his old companion anticipatedduring the next few hours, and events began to crowd rapidly one uponanother's heels.
Their advance was no sooner strengthened by the foot-men who had been solong inactive while crossing the pass, than changes began to occur,foremost among which was the progress forward, the little force nowpressing steadily on downward.
It was wintry and dark and the fighting was still going on with theenemy, who were slowly giving way, while to balance this the attack onthe rear was still kept up. But the pass was opening more and more, andduring the next few hours the progress of the little force had been slowbut steady, the first rays of the sun shining upon the jaded men andhorses halted in a sterile amphitheatre surrounded by rocks whichafforded a fair amount of protection, Nature having formed the hollowwith but one entrance and one exit, her instrument for carving out thedepression having probably been a huge river of ice descending from theheights behind towards the plains below, of which glimpses now began toappear.
Rest was imperative, and evidently feeling that his position was farfrom safe, their leader had set a portion of his men to strengthen theopening front and rear by means of the ample supply of scattered rocks,many of which only needed a few well-directed thrusts to partly block upthe rugged track and form an adequate defence.
This done and his foot-men disposed to the best advantage for theprotection of the still crippled mounted force, it was expected by allthat a few hours' rest might be obtained.
The position was bad, and their leader had intended to have pressed ondownward to the plains; but the enemy in the rear had advanced soswiftly, their allies given way so stubbornly, that he was forced toseize upon the hollow which offered itself as being a naturalstronghold, here to breathe his men and recruit for a few hours beforemaking a final dash.