as yet a hundred paces from
the beach, he flung back his hair, and swam out. They hauled him in, and
went away. I knew that those who worship Mithras are many and of all
races, so I did not think much more upon the matter.

'A month later I saw Allo with his horses--by the Temple of Pan, O
Faun!--and he gave me a great necklace of gold studded with coral.

'At first I thought it was a bribe from some tradesman in the town--meant
for old Rutilianus. "Nay," said Allo. "This is a gift from Amal, that
Winged Hat whom you saved on the beach. He says you are a Man."

'"He is a Man, too. Tell him I can wear his gift," I answered.

'"Oh, Amal is a young fool; but, speaking as sensible men, your Emperor is
doing such great things in Gaul that the Winged Hats are anxious to be his
friends, or, better still, the friends of his servants. They think you and
Pertinax could lead them to victories." Allo looked at me like a one-eyed
raven.

'"Allo," I said, "you are the corn between the two millstones. Be content
if they grind evenly, and don't thrust your hand between them."

'"I?" said Allo. "I hate Rome and the Winged Hats equally; but if the
Winged Hats thought that some day you and Pertinax might join them against
Maximus, they would leave you in peace while you considered. Time is what
we need--you and I and Maximus. Let me carry a pleasant message back to the
Winged Hats--something for them to make a council over. We barbarians are
all alike. We sit up half the night to discuss anything a Roman says. Eh?"

'"We have no men. We must fight with words," said Pertinax. "Leave it to
Allo and me."

'So Allo carried word back to the Winged Hats that we would not fight them
if they did not fight us; and they (I think they were a little tired of
losing men in the sea) agreed to a sort of truce. I believe Allo, who
being a horse-dealer loved lies, also told them we might some day rise
against Maximus as Maximus had risen against Rome.

'Indeed, they permitted the corn-ships which I sent to the Picts to pass
North that season without harm. Therefore the Picts were well fed that
winter, and since they were in some sort my children, I was glad of it. We
had only two thousand men on the Wall, and I wrote many times to Maximus
and begged--prayed--him to send me only one cohort of my old North British
troops. He could not spare them. He needed them to win more victories in
Gaul.

'Then came news that he had defeated and slain the Empe