the end of the next
street, and then paused. Already, three or four active figures had
run past him at the top of their speed, and he wished to be the
last to retreat. He stayed till he heard the tramp of troops coming
down--driven out by the spreading flames--and then sprang across
the end of the road and dashed along at full speed, still keeping
close to the line of tents.

A shout, which rose from the leading files of the Roman column,
showed that he was seen. As he neared the end of the next opening,
the Roman soldiers were pouring out; and he turned in among the tents
again. Through these he made his way; dashing across the open spaces
and, once, rushing through the midst of a Roman column--through which
he passed before the troops had time to strike at, or seize him.

At last, he reached the extremity of the camp. The slope down to
the river was but fifty yards away and, once over the brow, he
would be in darkness and safe from pursuit. But already the Romans
had drawn up a column of men along the edge of the plateau, to cut
off any who might try to pass. John paused among the last row of
the tents, hesitating what course to adopt. He could not make
directly up the mountain, for the space between it and the camp was
now covered by the Roman cavalry--the greater portion of their
infantry being still engaged in trying to save at least some
portion of the camp.

Suddenly he heard a footstep among the tents, close behind him. He
drew back into the tent by which he was standing, and peered
cautiously out. A Roman soldier came hastily along, and entered the
next tent--doubtless to fetch some article of value, which he had
left behind him as he rushed out, on the first alarm.

A sudden idea flashed across John's brain. He waited till the
soldier came out, followed him with silent steps; and then sprang
upon him at a bound, hurling him to the ground, and burying his
knife again and again in his body.

Illustration: The Roman Camp Surprised and Set on Fire.

Not a cry had escaped the Roman. The instant he was sure he was
dead, John rose to his feet, placed the helmet of the fallen man on
his head, secured the breastplate by a single buckle round his
neck, took up his buckler and sword; and then, emerging from one of
the tents, ran towards the Roman line, making for one of the narrow
openings between the different companies. Several other
soldiers--who had, like the man whom John had killed, gone back to
their tent