scene of confusion seems to have
baffled description. Piso, who had succeeded in making his way home in
the midst of it all, had even now to wipe his brow, which was streaming
with perspiration at the recollection of the horrors which he had
witnessed.

Whilst he proceeded with his narrative, Tertius had returned with
further news. And these, of a truth, were very alarming. The lower
slopes of the Palatine, as well as the Forum and the surrounding
streets, were now in the hands of the mob. The few legions who were in
the city had been cut off from the Palatine, and though they were making
vigorous efforts to break through the close ranks of the crowd, they
had, up to this hour, been wholly unsuccessful, owing no doubt to the
paucity of their numbers, since the bulk of the army was not yet home
from that insensate and mock expedition into Germany.

The whole of the troops in and around the city, including the town and
praetorian guard, was on this day computed at less than one thousand,
and the mob--so Tertius averred--was over one hundred thousand strong.

The law-abiding citizens had locked themselves up in the fastnesses of
their homes, and the Caesar--so it was believed--was inside his palace
with a small detachment of his guard around him, one hundred strong, who
already had had to repel numerous attacks delivered by the more forward
amongst the rabble.

Tertius had not been able to get far beyond the precincts of the house,
for fear had driven him back. The shouts which came from the streets
below and from the Forum were ominous and threatening.

"Death to the Caesar! Death to the tyrant!" could be distinctly heard
above the din of stampeding feet, and a low and constant murmur that
sounded like distant thunder.

There was no doubt that the Caesar's life was in grave danger, seeing
that only a handful of men stood between him and the fury of an excited
populace; and these men were without a leader, for the praetorian
praefect had been cut off from them, even as he tried to push his way
through the crowd earlier in the day.

Thus, therefore, did this harbinger of evil news resume the situation.
Caligula was in his palace, surrounded by the slaves of his household
and guarded by a few soldiers against a raging mob--an hundred thousand
or more strong--who had formed a ring around the Palatine, and was
clamouring for the Caesar's death. The legionaries, under the command of
faithful Centurions, were cut off fro