urrounded them with his most loyal men, and roared at them like a
lion. I don't believe they understood his Latin, or rather mine, for I
taught him the speech; but he pointed often enough to the men on the
gallows: they understood that. And now they obey like lambs.

The voyage continued past Sigeum, Taenarum, Metone, where many of our
men died, for the commissary at Constantinople, instead of baking the
soldiers' bread twice, had lowered it, as raw dough, into the public
baths (how appetizing! but, to be sure, it cost nothing); and when it
was completely saturated with water, had it browned quickly on the
outside upon red-hot plates. So it weighed much heavier (the Emperor
pays for it by weight), and he gained several ounces in every pound.
But it gently melted into most evil-smelling mush, and five hundred of
our men died from it. The Emperor was informed; but Theodora interceded
for the poor commissary (he is said to have paid one-tenth of his
profits for her Christian mediation), and the man received only a
reprimand, so we heard later. From Metone we went past Zacynthos to
Sicily, where, at the end of sixteen days, we dropped anchor in an old
roadstead, now unused,--the place is called Caucana,--opposite Mount
AEtna.

Now heavy thoughts assailed the hero Belisiarius. He so thirsts for
battle that he dashes blindly wherever a foe is pointed out. Yet
anxiety is increasing. Not one of the numerous spies who were sent
from Constantinople to Carthage long before our departure has
returned--neither to Constantinople, nor to any of the stopping-places
on our route that were assigned to them. So the General knows as much
about the Vandals as he does of the people in the moon.

What kind of people they are, their method of warfare, how he is to
reach them--he has no idea. Besides the soldiers have fallen back into
their old fear of Genseric's fleet, and there is no Empress on board
who might order some one to dream again. The limping trochees of the
court poet are rarely sung; the men have grown disgusted with the
verses; if any one strikes up the air half unwillingly, two others
instantly drown his voice. Only the Huns and the Herulians--to the
disgrace of the Romans, be it said--refrain from open lamentations;
they remain sullenly silent. But our warriors, the Romans, do not
shrink from loudly exclaiming that they would fight bravely enough on
land, they are used to it; but if the enemy should assail them on the
open s