lowed. At the end of the
road along the wall she turned, glided nimbly past the breathless
slave, and again ran toward me: she probably wanted to tell me
something, but I understood only the one word, 'hasten!'

"Then she was gone; for her companion, pursuing her, now approached me.
When directly opposite he raised his cloak, which was hanging around
his legs, and the yellowish-white thing dropped from his breast. He
puffed along, and it rolled close to the two posts in the sides of my
hole. I hastily snatched it. I wanted to wait for Bissula to pass
again, but I saw several splendidly armed Romans stop her, and all went
into the inner camp. Then I drew myself backward from between the posts
(it wasn't easy; a little skin and hair were left sticking there in
remembrance of Sippilo), slid down the wall, climbed the other side of
the ditch, entered the bushes, crept back to my former place, and came
just as Zercho gave the she-bear to the guards and left the camp."

CHAPTER XXXII.

The Duke had already taken the roll of papyrus from the boy's hand and
spread it open on the table. His eye sparkled with the joy of victory.

"What do I read here? 'Four squadrons of mailed horsemen at the Porta
Decumana, all the baggage also piled at the Porta Decumana.

"'The wall eight feet high.

"'The ditch five feet deep.

"'The weakest point the corner in the northwest'--and so it continues
for a long time!

"Thanks to thee, god of wishes. Thou hast sent this, no one else, to
thy sons. Look here! A plan of the entire camp! Exact: all the
measurements. And here, marked on the margin, the strength of all the
troops horsemen, foot-soldiers, carters; and their distribution in
the camp. Look here, Adalo! Even the great pine, the tree of the
earth-goddess, is noted. What is this beside the tree? What stands
there above the stones of sacrifice which cover the turf near the tree?
A tent, empty, without soldiers, filled with provisions!

"In this page I hold victory. Go now, Zercho: your reward shall be
paid. As I promised, I will buy your freedom, whatever sum your master,
Suomar, may ask: he cannot give it to you, his lands are not large, and
you are his most valuable property."

"O mighty, generous lord, I thank you!"

"Then you can return, a free man, to your own people, to Sarmatia. That
will be your wish?"

But Zercho shook his unkempt head. Tears filled his eyes: "No," he
said. "I will stay