Roman's sword had penetrated the wooden shield of the German and cut
deep into his left shoulder.

Sippilo caught his brother's drooping head; several attendants grasped
his feet, and thus they bore him swiftly out of the battle.

Decius, springing from Ausonius's side, now took command of the Romans.
But he could no longer maintain order in the ranks. At their leader's
fall under Adalo's terrible blow the column scattered in a wild flight
down the hillside. The foremost ones, who had witnessed the duel,
dispersed to the right and left. The rear ranks still held firm, but
now they received an attack from behind, from the camp, and all was
over. This attack was led by Duke Hariowald. At last--far too late for
his battle fury--he, too, had crossed the camp and reached the Porta
Decumana.

The greatest obstacle to the pursuit was now what had formerly been the
principal cause of the hesitation, confusion, and dispersion of the
retreating Roman troops: namely, the luggage, the barricade of wagons.
Behind it, that is, between it and the lake gate, numerous Romans,
especially the German mercenaries, the Batavians, who were accustomed
to such methods of fighting, had again made a stand; and much time was
consumed before the Duke, by means of fire, axe-blows, and bloodshed,
forced a passage through it. He had at once sent bodies of his men
through the cross streets leading to the right and left; to go round
the obstacle and attack the defenders on both flanks. Herculanus had
watched, in mortal terror, from his hiding-place in the tent, the
Alemanni dashing down these cross streets. Many rows of tents were
already blazing; others were blocked with piles of luggage and tent
equipage left behind. It was long before the Duke and his men, breaking
their way through the citadel of wagons and driving its last defenders
before them, reached the Decumanian Gate; but then with his whole body
of troops, intoxicated by their victory, he fell upon the rear of the
Romans commanded by Decius.

All was lost. Decius succeeded in holding together only one very small
band of Illyrians, scarcely twenty men. These, with their wounded
General and Ausonius in their midst, burst through the ranks of the
Linzgau men, who for some time were occupied with the care of Adalo,
and fled directly south toward the lake. It was evident that the only
hope of escape was by the ships, for swift destruction was overtaking
all the fugitives, who scattered and f