im or plan, to the right and left along the shore of the lake. They
were pursued by few of the victors, who preferred, first of all, to
seize the small Roman vessels and in these aid their comrades to board
the proud biremes. These vessels would contain more men, and their
higher decks were far better suited to climb the sides of the large war
galleys than the low fishing boats of the Alemanni. So it happened that
many German boats drifted to the shore empty, their crews having
abandoned them to pursue in the smaller Roman vessels, the Roman
galleys, or having already boarded them.

When Decius, with the little band of Illyrians, whom he had held
together around the wounded General and Ausonius, reached the burning
camp, even Saturninus, with the biremes blazing before his eyes,
recognized reluctantly that here, too, all was lost, and any
continuation of the battle impossible. He consented, hesitatingly, to
think only of flight. Rignomer, who had joined the General at the lake
gate, was the first to discover, as he gazed watchfully to and fro,
several deserted boats of the Alemanni drifting near them.

Leaping into the water, sometimes wading, sometimes swimming, he
reached the first, climbed in, found the oars, rowed to the three
skiffs nearest, tied them together with the ropes tangled near the
steering oar, and soon brought his little fleet so close to the shore
that the wounded Commander could be placed in the largest one, while
the whole band of fugitives--five or six in each--entered the others.
By his advice they all removed the high Roman helmets, which could be
recognized at a long distance, and the glittering Roman armor. At his
suggestion, too, they separated. Even Decius willingly followed the
counsel of the Batavian, an expert in sailing, in order not to attract
the enemy's attention so easily: thus they hoped to reach Arbor, on the
southern shore, singly and undetected.

When Hariowald and his followers arrived, they found nothing to do
except to take possession of all the Roman and German vessels which
still lay unused near the land, and continue the pursuit of the war
galleys on the lake. Springing into a Roman transport boat, he ordered
his men to row him to Nannienus's galley, where the boarders, after
overpowering the crew, had extinguished the flames. A man standing on
the lofty deck flung a rope ladder into the boat and gave Hariowald his
hand to help him on board. It was now dawn; the Duke recogn