ade the round of the camp to
test the watchfulness of the sentries, and was now directing the
defence from the walls. His own hand flung down the first ladder
raised.

But the battle was already raging at the same time on the other three
sides of the camp.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

Bissula, too, on whose burning eyes sleep had not descended, had soon
perceived what was happening. She heard with joyous terror the battle
cry of the Alemanni, the war horns of her people.

"There they are! They are coming!" she exclaimed exultingly. "Now to
meet them!" With the words she ran out of her tent, leading her
faithful companion by the collar. She was determined to seize the first
opportunity, no matter how dangerous it might be, to escape from the
precincts of the camp.

But this was far more difficult than Bissula had expected. She
experienced the utmost trouble even in gaining the vicinity of the lake
gate to which she was summoned. The regular squares of the Roman camp,
intersected at right angles by the streets of tents, rendered the task
still more arduous; for at all the streets and squares stood, in dense
masses, the reserve troops not engaged in fighting on the walk. No
matter whether their faces or their backs were turned toward her, those
ranks could not be penetrated.

Her friend Bruna impeded instead of aiding her. The animal was so
wildly excited by the noise of thousands of men shouting, weapons
clashing, horses dashing by, and flames blazing on all sides, that the
young girl had great difficulty in restraining the daughter of the
Alemannic forests from mingling in the battle and furiously attacking
the legionaries. So for a long time she could make little progress
toward the gate she desired to reach.

But now a gap was suddenly made in the ranks of the soldiers standing
before her. A troop of mailed riders came dashing down the street of
the camp from the north toward the gate, and the Illyrians before her
opened their ranks to let the cavalry pass. Bissula fearlessly seized
the tail of one of the horses and, without loosing her hold of Bruna,
let herself be dragged along. In this way she successfully reached the
Via Principalis, but here, feeling her arm seized, she released the
horse, which now kicked violently. The girl looked around angrily. It
was old Prosper.

"Halt," he commanded, "you must stay with me, Bissula. That is the
order of the patronus; he sent me to you, suppos