you_?"

A peculiar smile played around the young German's handsome mouth, about
which the first downy beard charmingly curled. "Take care, Roman! Are
we too few for thee? Soon may we seem too many. Out of a few the
wonder-working Wotan wakes many! For the last time--evacuate the
fortress; divide peaceably the country!"

"Never! Back, barbarian!" cried the two Romans at once.

Liuthari turned his horse suddenly round. "It is your wish. You are,
then, lost. Wotan has you all!"

The two horsemen then galloped back to their men.

"Haduwalt, sound the horn!"

The old master-in-arms put the horn to his mouth, and a load roaring
tone struck on the ear of the Romans; and before they could obey the
command of their leaders and advance against the enemy, there sounded
behind them, _in the east_, from the river, from the town, now quite
near, the loud cry of the black eagle; and immediately afterwards such
a fearful noise of whoops, cries of anguish, and the clashing of
weapons, that all the six hundred men, and both commanders, turned in
dismay. Horror and despair seized them. Germans--Germans innumerable,
as it appeared to the alarmed Romans rushed forth from the eastern
forest, and from all the slopes of the mountains and brushwood of the
hills. A strong detachment hurried towards the bridge; others, on horse
and on foot, threw themselves into the river above and below the
bridge; but the greater part, laden with ladders and trunks of trees on
which the horizontal branches had been left, approached the town; and
with fierce rage the shut-out citizens saw how whole masses of the
stormers, crowding together like ants, helped to raise each other,
supported themselves on the ladders, beams, and trees, climbed up, and,
in many places almost without resistance from the few sentinels, at
once gained the crown of the ramparts.

Juvavum, the town, was conquered before its defenders had been able to
strike a blow.

The garrison had been enticed out, with the exception of the soldiers
of the Tribune. Were _they_ still in the Capitol? The leaders looked
anxiously towards the tower: the imperial _Vexillum_ was still
fluttering at its summit.

But the cry of joy with which the Alemannian horsemen greeted the
success of their heroic confederates recalled the Romans to the
threatening danger from this near enemy. Severus ordered Cornelius,
with about a hundred men, to engage the Alemannian troopers, while he
himself, with the great