ent out a party with horses to bring in the wounded and
the dead; all the priests were among the slain; those of the chiefs
that were alive held a meeting and resolved that the camp must now be
held, for the Romans would attack the next day; and they sent the
women and children, with the herds, away to a secret place in the
mountains, all but Heiri's wife, who would not leave the camp.

Then the other chiefs would have made Gryf, the old chief, prince of
the tribe; but he refused it, saying that Heiri had wished Nefri to be
chief, and that none but Nefri should succeed. So search was made for
Nefri, and he was found in Heiri's hut with Heiri's wife; he had
stayed beside the body till it grew stiff and cold and the eyes had
glazed; and then he had feared to be alone with it, and had crept
away. So they put a crown upon Nefri's head, and each of the chiefs in
turn knelt before him and kissed his hand; and Nefri bore himself
proudly but gently, as a prince should, rising as each chief
approached; and then he was led out before the people, and they were
told that Nefri was prince by the wish of Heiri; and no one disputed
the matter.

Then in the grey dawn a scout came in haste and said that three
Romans were approaching the camp, and that one was a herald; and the
old chief asked Nefri what his will was; and the boy looked him in the
face, and said, "Let them be brought hither." So the chiefs were again
summoned, and the Romans came slowly into the camp. The herald came in
front, and he was followed by an officer of high rank, as could be
seen from his apparel and the golden trappings of the horse that bore
him; and another officer followed behind; and the herald, who knew
something of the Cambrian language, said that this was the Lord Legate
himself, and that he was come to make terms.

The chiefs looked at each other in silence, for they knew that the
Romans must needs have taken the camp that day if they had assaulted
it. The Legate was a young man with a short beard, very much burnt by
the sun, and bearing himself like a great gentleman. He looked about
him with a careless and lordly air; and when they came into the
presence of the chiefs, the three dismounted; and the Legate looked
round to see which was the prince; then the old chief put Nefri
forward, and said to the herald, "Here is our king." And the Legate
bowed to Nefri, and looked at him in surprise; and the herald said in
the Cambrian language to Nefri that