A Struggle for Rome, v. 2

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XX.

  As the woman turned in the direction of the sound, she stood for amoment with her back to the granaries. But she suddenly looked round,for she thought she heard the bang of a heavy door. She lookedattentively in that direction, but it was too dark to see anything. Sheheard, however, something rustling along close to the outer wall of thebuilding, and she thought she caught the sound of a low sigh.

  "Stop!" she cried, "who moans there?"

  "Peace, peace!" whispered a strange voice. "The earth--disgusted--shookand trembled! The last day has come--it will reveal all. He will soonknow.--Oh!"

  A groan of pain--a rustle of garments--then complete silence.

  "Where art thou? Art thou wounded?" asked the woman, seeking on theground.

  A flash of lightning--the first since the earthquake--showed her ashrouded form lying at her feet. A woman dressed in white and blue.

  The Gothic woman stretched out her hand, but the prostrate form sprangup at her touch, and, with a scream, disappeared into the darkness.

  All this had passed rapidly, and seemed like some frightful dream, buta broad gold bracelet, ornamented with a green serpent in emeralds,remained in the Gothic woman's hand, a proof of the reality of themysterious vision.

  And again the iron steps of the Gothic patrol approached.

  "Hildebad, Hildebad, help!" cried Wisand.

  "I am here! What is the matter? Where shall I go?" asked Hildebad,advancing with his men.

  "To the Gate of Honorius! The wall has fallen, and the tower of AEtiuslies in ruins. Help! Into the breach!"

  "I come! Poor, poor Fridugern!"

  Outside, in the camp of the Byzantines, Cethegus the Prefect rushedinto Belisarius's tent.

  He was in full armour, his plume of crimson horsehair tossed upon hishelm. His bearing was proud. His eyes flashed.

  "Up! Why do you linger, Belisarius? The walls of your enemy's citadelfall of themselves! The last refuge of the last King of the Goths liesopen before you! Why do you remain in your tent?"

  "I adore the Almighty," said Belisarius with composure. Antonina stoodnear him, her arm about his neck.

  A praying-stool and a tall crucifix showed in what occupation thestormy entrance of the Prefect had disturbed them.

  "Do that to-morrow, after the victory. But now, storm the city!"

  "Storm the city now?" cried Antonina. "What sacrilege! The earth isshaken to its foundations, for God the Lord speaks in this elementalstrife!"

  "Let Him speak! We will act. Belisarius, the tower of AEtius and aportion of the walls have fallen. I ask you, will you not storm thecity?"

  "He is not wrong," said Belisarius, in whom the lust of battle wasawakening. "But it is a dark night----"

  "To victory and the heart of Ravenna I will find my way even in thedark. And it lightens besides."

  "You are all at once very eager for the fight," said Belisariushesitatingly.

  "Yes, for there is good reason. The barbarians are startled. They fearGod and forget their enemies."

  At this moment Procopius and Marcus Licinius hurried into the tenttogether.

  "Belisarius," cried the first, "the earthquake has thrown down thebarracks by the northern trench, and has buried half a cohort of yourIllyrians!"

  "My poor people!" cried Belisarius, and at once left the tent.

  "Cethegus," said Marcus, "one of your cohorts also lies buried undertheir barracks."

  But, impatiently shaking his head, the Prefect asked: "How is the waterin the Gothic moat before the tower of AEtius? Has not the earthquakelessened it?"

  "Yes, the water has disappeared--the moat is quite dry. Hark, what acry! It is your Illyrians! They cry for help!"

  "Let them cry!" said Cethegus. "Is the moat really dry? Then give thesignal to storm. Follow me with all the Isaurians that are stillalive."

  And in the midst of thunder and lightning, which now again ragedunceasingly, the Prefect hurried to the trenches where his Romanlegions and the rest of the Isaurians stood under arms. He quicklycounted them. There were far too few to take the city alone, but heknew that a moderate success would immediately cause Belisarius to joinhim.

  "Lights! torches!" he cried, and stepped to the front of his Romanlegions with a torch in his left hand. "Forward!" he cried. "Draw yourswords!"

  But not a hand was raised.

  Dumb with astonishment and terror, the whole troop--even the leaders,even Licinius--looked at the demonic man, who, in the midst of allNature's rebellion, thought only of his goal, and of using the strifeof the elements and the terrors of the Almighty as means to prosecutehis own ends.

  "Well? which is your duty? To listen to the thunder, or to me!" hecried.

  "General," said a centurion, stepping forward, "the men pray; for theearth quaked."

  "Do you think that Italy will devour her own children? No, Romans; see!The very earth quakes at the tread of the barbarians. It rises, breaksits bonds, and their walls fall. Roma, Roma aeterna!"

  His words took effect.

  It was one of those Caesarian speeches which move men to great deeds.

  "Roma, Roma aeterna!" cried, first Licinius, and after him thousands ofRoman youths; and through night and storm, through thunder andlightning, they followed the Prefect, whose grand enthusiasmirresistibly carried them away.

  Excitement lent wings to their feet. They were soon across the widemoat which usually they scarcely dared to approach.

  Cethegus was the first to reach the opposite side.

  The wind had extinguished the torches.

  But he found his way in the dark.

  "Here, Licinius!" he cried, "follow me! Here must be the breach."

  He sprang forward, but ran against some hard body and staggered back.

  "What is that!" asked Lucius Licinius behind him. "A second wall?"

  "No," said a quiet voice, "but a Gothic shield!"

  "That is King Witichis!" said the Prefect furiously, and with bitterhatred he looked at the dark figure before him.

  He had counted upon a surprise. His hope was frustrated.

  "If I but had him," he said to himself, "he should never hinder meagain!"

  Looking behind, he now saw many torch-lights and heard the flourish oftrumpets. Belisarius was leading his troops to storm the walls.

  Procopius reached the Prefect.

  "Well, why do you stop? Do new walls keep you back?"

  "Yes, living walls. There they stand," and the Prefect pointed forwardwith his sword.

  "Under the still tottering ruins, these Goths! Truly," criedProcopius--

  "'Si fractus illabatur orbis, Impavidos ferient ruinae!'

  They are courageous men!"

  But now Belisarius was at hand with his compact lines, ready for theassault.

  One moment more--the leaders were still hurrying to and fro, givingorders--and a terrible slaughter would begin.

  But suddenly all the sky above the city was flooded with a red light.

  A column of flame shot up into the air, and countless sparks descended.It seemed to rain fire from heaven. All Ravenna glowed in the crimsonlight. It was a fearful but beautiful spectacle.

  Both armies, ready to mingle in a hand-to-hand combat, halted andhesitated.

  "Fire! fire! Witichis, King Witichis!" shouted a horseman, who camegalloping from the city; "it burns!"

  "We see it. Let it burn, Markja! First fight and then extinguish."

  "No, no, sire; all the granaries burn! The grain flies in myriads ofsparks through the air."

  "The granaries are burning!" cried Goths and Byzantines.

  Witichis had no heart to ask questions.

  "The lightning must have kindled the interior long ago. It is quiteburnt out. Look! look!"

  A stronger gust of wind fanned the fire, which flamed up higher thanever. The flames caught the nearest roofs, and, at the same time, thewooden ridge of the lofty building seemed to fall, for, after a heavycrash, the sparks
shot up thicker than ever.

  It was a sea of fire.

  Witichis tried to lift his hand to give an order--but his arm fell,faint and powerless. Cethegus saw it.

  "Now!" he cried; "now let us assault!"

  "No; halt!" thundered Belisarius. "He who lifts his sword is theEmperor's enemy and dies! Back to the camp--all. Now Ravenna is mine!To-morrow it will fall without a struggle."

  His troops obeyed him and drew back.

  Cethegus was in a fury. He alone was too weak to oppose the order. Hewas obliged to yield.

  His plans were ruined. He had wished to take the city by storm inorder--as he had done in Rome--to take possession of its principaldefences. And he foresaw that it would be now delivered completely intothe hand of Belisarius. He led his troops away in disgust.

  But the events which actually occurred afterwards, were very differentto what either the Prefect or Belisarius had expected.