Goths ran at a quick step across the court. Very few fell. The
greater part reached the second and inner wall in safety, and a hundred
ladders were raised.

And now all Procopius's balistas and machines were useless; for being
directed for a wide range, they could not be placed in a perpendicular
direction without great trouble and loss of time.

Piso observed this, and turned pale.

"Spears! spears! or all is lost!"

"They are all cast away," panted fat Balbus, who stood near him, with a
look of despair.

"Then all is lost!" sighed Piso, letting fall his wearied arms.

"Come, Massurius, let us save ourselves," cried Balbus.

"No, let us stand and die," cried Piso.

Over the edge of the wall appeared the first Gothic helmet.

All at once a cry was heard upon the steps leading on to the wall
citywards.

"Cethegus! Cethegus the Prefect!"

And he it was. He sprang upon the ramparts, and attacking the Goth, who
had just laid his hand upon the breastwork before swinging himself
over, he cut off hand and arm. The man screamed and fell.

"Oh, Cethegus!" cried Piso; "you come in the very nick of time!"

"I hope so," said Cethegus, and overturned the ladder which was raised
against the wall just in front of him.

Witichis had mounted it--he sprang down with agility.

"But I must have projectiles; spears, lances! else we can do nothing!"
cried Cethegus.

"There is nothing left," answered Balbus; "we hoped that you would come
with your Isaurians."

"They are still far, far behind me!" cried Kallistratos, who was the
first to arrive after Cethegus.

And the number of ladders and the rising helmets increased. Ruin was
imminent. Cethegus looked wildly round.

"Projectiles," he cried, stamping his foot; "we must have them!"

At that moment his eye fell upon a gigantic marble statue of Jupiter,
which stood upon the ramparts to his left hand. A thought flashed
across him. He sprang up, and with his axe struck off the right arm of
the statue, together with the thunderbolt it held.

"Jupiter!" he cried, "lend me thy lightnings! Why dost thou hold them
so idly? Up, my men! shatter the statues and hurl them at the enemy!"

Before he could finish his sentence, his example was followed.

The hard-pressed defenders fell upon the gods and heroes with hammers
and axes, and in a moment the lovely forms were shattered.

It was a frightful sight. There lay a grand Hadrian, an equestrian
statue, man and horse split in t