built over, from end to end of the Wall; making a thin town eighty miles
long. Think of it! One roaring, rioting, cockfighting, wolf-baiting,
horse-racing town, from Ituna on the West to Segedunum on the cold eastern
beach! On one side heather, woods and ruins where Picts hide, and on the
other, a vast town--long like a snake, and wicked like a snake. Yes, a
snake basking beside a warm wall!

'My Cohort, I was told, lay at Hunno, where the Great North Road runs
through the Wall into the Province of Valentia.' Parnesius laughed
scornfully. 'The Province of Valentia! We followed the road, therefore,
into Hunno town, and stood astonished. The place was a fair--a fair of
peoples from every corner of the Empire. Some were racing horses: some sat
in wine-shops: some watched dogs baiting bears, and many gathered in a
ditch to see cocks fight. A boy not much older than myself, but I could
see he was an Officer, reined up before me and asked what I wanted.

'"My station," I said, and showed him my shield.' Parnesius held up his
broad shield with its three X's like letters on a beer-cask.

'"Lucky omen!" said he. "Your Cohort's the next tower to us, but they're
all at the cock-fight. This is a happy place. Come and wet the Eagles." He
meant to offer me a drink.

'"When I've handed over my men," I said. I felt angry and ashamed.

'"Oh, you'll soon outgrow that sort of nonsense," he answered. "But don't
let me interfere with your hopes. Go on to the Statue of Roma Dea. You
can't miss it. The main road into Valentia!" and he laughed and rode off.
I could see the Statue not a quarter of a mile away, and there I went. At
some time or other the Great North Road ran under it into Valentia; but
the far end had been blocked up because of the Picts, and on the plaster a
man had scratched, "Finish!" It was like marching into a cave. We grounded
spears together, my little thirty, and it echoed in the barrel of the
arch, but none came. There was a door at one side painted with our number.
We prowled in, and I found a cook asleep, and ordered him to give us food.
Then I climbed to the top of the Wall, and looked out over the Pict
country, and I--thought,' said Parnesius. 'The bricked-up arch with
"Finish!" on the plaster was what shook me, for I was not much more than a
boy.'

'What a shame!' said Una. 'But did you feel happy after you'd had a
good----' Dan stopped her with a nudge.

'Happy?' said Parnesius. 'When the men of the Cohort