CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
MARCUS' PLAN.
"Steady, steady!" cried Serge to the driver. "Mind that great block."
For as they tore on, with more and more traces of an engagement teachingthem that they were going right, the driver seemed to be sending thefiery little pair he drove straight for a low mass of stone, contactwith which must have meant wreck.
Startled by the old soldier's angry shout, the driver drew one reinsharply, making the ponies swerve right for another far more dangerousobstacle and but for Marcus' readiness in snatching at the other rein, aworse mishap would have occurred.
They were saved from this, but the shouts had scared the fiery littlesteeds, sending them dashing frantically off in quite a fresh direction,while to Marcus' horror, he saw that it was into another danger in theshape of a vast body of the enemy who, as the flying ponies drew near,sprang to their feet from where they were lying behind a ridge.
Getting the ponies once more well in hand, the driver, who saw nothingbut death for himself if they were taken, wrenched the heads of the pairround once more, just when they seemed about to plunge into the thickranks of the enemy, along whose front they tore in the intent ofsweeping round their line.
But the hope was vain, for another body of men came into sight, risingfrom the earth where they had been lying, to form up at right angles tothe first body, and once more the direction of the chariot had to bechanged, then altered again and again, for to Marcus' horror foes sprangup in every direction they took, the country seeming alive with theenemy, and all prospect of getting through them and continuing theirdash for the Roman army at an end.
"What's to be done, Serge?" cried the boy, at last.
"Steady the ponies and let them get their wind again."
This was done, the gallop being turned into a gentle trot and from thatinto a walk, while the fugitives watched the slow, steady advance of thebarbarians, who in their way, in spite of the name they received,appeared to be nearly as civilised as the Romans themselves.
Their intent now seemed to be to make sure of the capture of the chariotand its occupants as they kept on closing up and gradually narrowing theextent of the open plain about which the galloping evolutions had takenplace.
"It's just as if they knew that we were the bearers of an importantmessage, Serge," said Marcus.
"Seems like it, boy, but it is not," was the reply. "We're enemies andinvaders on their lands, and they mean to take us at all costs. Itlooks bad too."
"What does?" said Marcus, sharply.
"The country being up like this. It looks bad for our army, boy. I'mbeginning to think that Julius has had to fight every step of the way hehas come, and if our message was not what it is I should say it was oursoldierly duty to give up attempting to get through with it."
"What!" cried Marcus, with a look of horror, as he turned from watchingthe approaching enemy spreading out more and more over the open plain.
"I said if it wasn't what it is," said Serge, quietly.
"But you wouldn't give up, Serge, come what may?"
"Do I look the sort of man to give up when I have work to do?"
"No, no," cried Marcus, warmly. "It was wrong of me to think it evenfor a moment. But now, Serge, our way lies away to the left."
"No, boy; I've been watching every turn we took, and if we kept on as weare now we should about be in the line our army took."
"Then we must make a brave dash now and with lowered spears gallop rightthrough them."
"And come down before we were half through their line, boy."
"Oh, don't oppose what seems to be the only plan, Serge!" cried the boy,appealingly.
"I oppose it because it means being killed or taken prisoners."
"Then what can we do?" cried Marcus.
"I'll tell you what's best, boy," said the old soldier, thoughtfully."They're a long way off us, both in front and on the left."
"Ah, try and trick them?" cried Marcus. "I know!"
"That's right, then, boy," said Serge, with a smile. "How would you doit?"
"Why like this," cried Marcus, excitedly--"Pull up!" he cried to thedriver.
The man obeyed, and the ponies stopped short, looking full of go, butwith their sides marked heavily with sweat and foam.
"Now," cried Marcus, laying down his spear and leaping out of thechariot, "out with you both. Lie down, Lupe! Quiet, sir!"
The driver and Serge sprang from their places and followed Marcus to theheads of their steeds, to begin patting and caressing them in the fullsight of the army.
"Now," continued Marcus, "you get back into the car," and the driverstepped into his place.
"Take hold of the reins and hold them ready, but sit down as if yourwork was done. You, Serge, lead one pony; I'll lead the other, andwe'll walk them slowly towards the enemy away here to the left."
"So as to let them think we have given up trying to escape, and aregoing to surrender?" said Serge, quickly. "Well done, boy! That's justabout what I was going to say."
"Then," continued Marcus, "when we have slowly walked the ponies as nearto the enemy as we dare, resting them all the while, I'll give the wordto gallop off, and as the ponies are turned we two spring into thechariot as it passes, and we'll tear away for liberty. No stopping thistime, but use our spears."
"That's right," said Serge, rubbing his hands softly; "and I think theywill be so taken by surprise that we shall get through; and if wedon't--"
"Well, Serge, finish what you were going to say," said Marcus, sadly.
"It will be because it couldn't be done."
"But it must be done."
Just then a faint burst of cheering came to the adventurers' ears andbegan to run along the line upon their left, towards which they nowbegan to move at a walk.
The next instant it was taken up in front to their right and rear.
"They think we've surrendered, Marcus, boy," said Serge, with a chuckle."Here, do as I do; take off your helmet and pitch it into the chariot.It will look better."
Marcus followed his companion's example, and leading the ponies, theadventurers advanced slowly towards the enemy on their left, still abouta quarter of a mile away, and Marcus had the satisfaction of seeing thatthe men had all halted, and those on the left were awaiting theirapproach, while all ideas of order or discipline were at an end, thelines breaking up and becoming so many loose crowds of armed men,instead of roughly-formed Greek-like phalanxes ready for action.
Those were exciting moments, and as the time neared for giving the orderfor action, Marcus' heart did not fail, for it beat as strongly as ever,but a feeling of doubt began to grow as he glanced along the line of thearmy he was approaching, and then at the loose mass standing or movingabout at right angles, and thought how impossible it would be to dashthrough them.
At last, when the chariot was about fifty yards from the line, and acouple of the enemy who seemed to be leaders stepped forward as if totake their weapons, Marcus, without turning his head, whispered softly:
"Ready, Serge?"
"Ready!" was the reply.
"Then drop your rein when I say _Now_. You, driver, turn their heads atthe same moment and gallop away."
For answer the charioteer gathered up the reins a little, when, startledat the touch, the ponies threw up their heads.
What followed looked so natural upon the movement of the steeds thatwhen Marcus gave the word, and he and Serge stepped back together itseemed to the enemy as if the horses had snatched the reins from theirhands, and when the chariot was turned rapidly, to dash off, the actionsof Marcus and Serge in catching at the sides and swinging themselves inwere looked upon as attempts to help the driver check the endeavours ofa restive pair of horses which had taken fright and galloped away atfull speed.
Consequently a burst of laughter arose, to travel down the line, everyman watching the progress of the supposed runaways with delight, whilethe body of men, now a disorderly crowd, instead of taking the alarm andclosing
up with presented spears to receive and impale the runaways,caught the contagion of laughter and separated, tumbling over oneanother in their haste to escape the expected shock, and leaving a wideopening through which the horses tore, urged to their utmost speed bytheir driver's excited cries.
Seeing this, Marcus shouted to Serge, who was ready with the spears andholding out one to Marcus.
"No, no," he cried, and seeing no danger he bent over the front of thechariot, making believe to snatch at the reins, and grasping his ideaSerge seemed to be seconding his efforts as they tore by, and it was notuntil the last of the enemy was left behind that any attempt was made tofollow, while even then the idea that it was a ruse went home butslowly.
"Hurrah!" said Marcus, softly, for he did not dare to shout. "They maythink what they like now; we have got the start and ought to be able todrive clear away for the army again, eh, Serge?"
"I hope so, boy, but after what I've seen I'm afraid that the passage ofour army has roused up the whole country, and that we shall be meetingenemies every step of the way."
"Oh, don't say disheartening things after this escape, Serge," cried theboy, excitedly. "That's right, lad; keep them going for a bit longer,and then steady down again to give them breath. Look at the beautifulbeasts, Serge. I wish we were mounted upon them, instead of lettingthem drag this heavy chariot."
"I'm looking at the enemy, my boy," cried Serge. "They don't seem toknow the truth yet, but scores of them are coming after us at a run. Idon't think they'll catch us though, for we are going four feet to theirone."
"Yes, but we must not distress the horses. Steady! Steady! An easygallop now. That's better. A quarter of an hour like this, and we canlaugh at them, unless old Serge is right and enemies are ready to springup everywhere in our way."
"Ah!" shouted Serge, at that moment, and the ponies took his cry to meanfaster, and increased their speed. "No, no," he cried. "Steady,steady! Look, Marcus, boy, we are going right," and the old soldierpointed to another of the grim traces of war in the shape of anoverturned chariot, with the skeletons of the horses that had drawn itlooking ghastly and strangely suggestive of what might have been theirfate, or might happen even yet.
Before long the crowded together lines of the enemy began to grow moreand more confused; then the idea of distance manifested itself more andmore, and those who had pursued melted away into the main body, whilethe gallant little steeds, whose pace had been slackened down into asteady hand gallop, were eased more and more, to proceed at a gentletrot such as they could easily keep up, till they were checked in themidst of a green slope that ran along by a pine wood, pleasantindications of the mountain land being left behind.
Here a clear cool stream ran prattling along, towards which the poniesstretched out their necks and were allowed to drink, their example beingfollowed by those they had drawn, a short distance higher up, and Marcusrose looking eager and refreshed.
"We shall do it, Serge," he cried; "but I have seen no signs lately ofthe army having passed this way. Have you?"
Serge gave him a peculiar look.
"Yes," he said, roughly; "there has been fighting just yonder, if youlook for it; but don't, boy. I want to get on gently again, and to findsome sign of a farm, or peasants' hut. We must have food of some kindif we are to do our work. Let's get a little farther on, and then Imust forage."
"Yes," said Marcus, sadly. "It seems waste of time, but it must bedone, I suppose. But why not let the ponies browse a little here? See,they have already begun."
"Because it will be of no use for us to look about here."
"Of course not," said Marcus, hastily, and he stood looking hurriedlyround, to see for the first time that all along the edge of the forestwhich should have been bordered with fresh green bushes, was broken downand trampled, while not far from where he stood fire had been doing itswork, and a large portion was blackened stump and skeleton-like stem.