hips he had assigned two or three smaller flat-decked,
shallow boats, to land provisions and troops and facilitate intercourse
between the biremes (which required considerable depth of water when
they lay at anchor) and the shore, often bordered for a considerable
distance by marshes.

Probably more than sixty sail now appeared, in the full radiance of the
most brilliant September sunshine, opposite to the Idisenhang, some at
anchor, some in an unbroken chain forming a sort of bridge of boats
from the place of anchorage to the shore.

The various forms of the sails (for in the pressure of haste all sorts
of Barbarian ones had been added to the triangular Latin form of the
Romans--ancient Celtic used on the lake from primeval days, and
Alemannic) and their motley colors, principally dazzlingly white, but
many deep yellow, gleaming in the sunlight, swelled by the fresh
breeze; the surging, swarming life of the soldiers thronging from the
ships to the shore, and from the shore to the ships; the greetings of
old comrades; the joyful recognition of what had been accomplished in
Arbor; the threatening outcries against the Barbarians, who must now be
thoroughly extirpated--the whole presented a scene full of splendor,
life, movement, and warlike uproar.

CHAPTER XLVI.

The largest galley, an old war ship which still bore the figure of
Amphitrite on its prow, displayed a purple streamer, and the smallest
foresail was of the same color; for she carried the Commander of the
squadron.

"At last!" the able officer exclaimed as, the first man in the whole
armada, he leaped from his galley into the boat which lay rocking at
its bowsprit. He ran across the whole line of small vessels to the
shore, and sprang with one impatient leap from the last boat across the
marshy ground to the solid land to meet the Illyrian, who received him
with outstretched arms.

"At last, my friend, I bring ships and men. It has been a long delay."

"I know it was no fault of yours."

"The Caesar has already sent the guilty men to the mines. Where is the
Prefect?"

"Up above, in the camp. He is not well."

"I have letters for him from the Emperor."

"Has no news come from the Emperor Valens yet?" asked Saturninus
anxiously.

"Yes, very late news."

"How do matters stand between him and the Goths?"

"Well for him and badly for the Barbarians. They are suffering terribly
from hunger. His last letter declines,