moke rises up from the
chamois rock."

"A charcoal-burner! Turn thy face! In the _west_ stands the enemy.
Lower the spears! Forward!"

In two extended lines near each other, each three men deep, they now
advanced towards the agile horsemen, who had quickly ridden back from
the river as this mass of footmen passed over; they had halted half-way
between the stream and the western forest, and had formed in two
parallel lines. Only a spear's throw separated the enemies.

Then as Severus and Cornelius, slowly advancing their columns, were
just going to raise their spears, two Germans rode slowly towards them,
ceremoniously turning the points of their lances downwards.

"Halt!" cried Severus to his troops. "They wish to parley. Let us
listen to them!"

The two horsemen came now quite close to Severus and Cornelius. The
combatants on each side stood back in anxious expectation.

One of the two Germans, a youthful, towering, splendid figure, on a
milk-white steed, was by the ornaments and splendour of his arms
characterised as a leader; he might be more than ten years younger than
Cornelius, who noticed with envy the muscular strength of the naked
right arm of the young barbarian, adorned and at the same time
strengthened by broad golden armlets; the left arm was covered by a
small round shield, painted red, embellished in the centre with a
spokeless wheel, a Rune or a picture of the sun. His breast was
protected by splendidly-worked armour--ah! with feelings of anger
Severus recognised, by the badges of honour appended thereto, that it
had been the panoply of a distinguished Roman officer, a legate or
_magister militum_;--he wore short leather breeches; from the ankle
upwards the calf of the leg was bound round with neat leather straps;
the left only of the two closely-fitting wooden shoes bore a spur; the
rider scorned saddle and stirrups; a short double axe was stuck in his
girdle, a white woollen mantle, fastened together so that it hindered
no movement, hung at his back; it was the hand of the mother--for this
youth was certainly yet unwedded--who had worked the handsome, broad,
bright red stripe on its border; splendid light golden hair floated on
his shoulders in natural curls, and surrounded the dazzlingly
beautiful, maidenlike white face; and on the proudly arched Roman
helmet, also obtained by plunder, towered, instead of the Latin black
horse-tail, the pinion of the gray heron.

The second horseman, a gigant