le to find out what he
wants. Their real grievance against us came from our burning their
heather. The whole garrison of the Wall moved out twice a year, and
solemnly burned the heather for ten miles North. Rutilianus, our
General, called it clearing the country. The Picts, of course, scampered
away, and all we did was to destroy their bee-bloom in the summer, and
ruin their sheep-food in the spring.

'"True, quite true," said Allo. "How can we make our holy heather-wine,
if you burn our bee-pasture?"

'We talked long, Maximus asking keen questions that showed he knew much
and had thought more about the Picts. He said presently to me: "If I
gave you the old Province of Valentia to govern, could you keep the
Picts contented till I won Gaul? Stand away, so that you do not see
Allo's face; and speak your own thoughts."

'"No," I said. "You cannot remake that Province. The Picts have been
free too long."

'"Leave them their village councils, and let them furnish their own
soldiers," he said. "You, I am sure, would hold the reins very lightly."

"Even then, no," I said. "At least not now. They have been too oppressed
by us to trust anything with a Roman name for years and years."

'I heard old Allo behind me mutter: "Good child!"

'"Then what do you recommend," said Maximus, "to keep the North quiet
till I win Gaul?"

'"Leave the Picts alone," I said. "Stop the heather-burning at once,
and--they are improvident little animals--send them a shipload or two of
corn now and then."

'"Their own men must distribute it--not some cheating Greek accountant,"
said Pertinax.

'"Yes, and allow them to come to our hospitals when they are sick," I
said.

'"Surely they would die first," said Maximus.

'"Not if Parnesius brought them in," said Allo. "I could show you twenty
wolf-bitten, bear-clawed Picts within twenty miles of here. But
Parnesius must stay with them in hospital, else they would go mad with
fear."

'"I see," said Maximus. "Like everything else in the world, it is one
man's work. You, I think, are that one man."

'"Pertinax and I are one," I said.

'"As you please, so long as you work. Now, Allo, you know that I mean
your people no harm. Leave us to talk together," said Maximus.

'"No need!" said Allo. "I am the corn between the upper and lower
millstones. I must know what the lower millstone means to do. These boys
have spoken the truth as far as they know it. I, a Prince, will tell you
the rest. I am t