Luceria with all
their might, and were on the point to take it. Now this same report had
been spread abroad before of set purpose, and had come to the ears of
the Romans; and now when these prisoners said the same words, agreeing
all of them one with another, the Romans must needs believe it to be
true. Now that the Romans would help the men of Luceria was manifest,
because they were good allies and faithful, and because also, if it
should be taken, all Apulia would fall away from them from present fear
of the enemy. But by which way they would go men doubted much: for there
were two ways, the one broad and easy, along the coast of the Upper Sea;
but this way, as it was safe, so also was long. The other way, and this
the shorter by far, lay through the Passes of Caudium. Now the nature
of these passes is this. There are two deep glens, narrow and grown with
woods, having mountains on either side of them; and between these there
is a plain, of no small extent, grassy and well watered, and the road
passes through the midst of it. But before a man can come to this plain
he must needs go through the first pass; and when he would leave, if he
will not return by the way by which he came, he must needs go through
the second, and this is yet more narrow and difficult than the first.
Into this plain, therefore, the Romans marched with their whole army
through a cleft in the rocks--that is to say, through the first pass;
but when they came to the second, they found it shut with the trunks
of trees and great stones. And now the stratagem of the enemy became
manifest, and at the same time also there was seen on the mountains
above them a great army of the Samnites. And when they went back in all
haste to the pass by which they had entered, they found this also shut
by a fence of the like sort, kept by armed men. Thereupon they halted,
though no man had given the word, for they were utterly confounded,
neither was there any strength left in their limbs; and they stood
speechless, looking upon each other as men that sought for help.
Nevertheless, the tents of the Consuls were set up, and the tools for
fortifying the camp got ready, though it seemed an idle thing for men
that were in such plight to fortify a camp; but because they would not
make their trouble worse by neglect they addressed themselves to work,
and, without bidding or command from any man, fortified a camp; but not
the less they knew their labour to be in vain; nor did t