A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XIX.

  All at once a thought flashed across the mind of the monk; had they notonce before exchanged garments--the Dioscuri?

  Had he not once before drawn the murderous steel directed at Totila'sheart upon himself?

  He thought they were followed. It seemed to him that he heard horsesapproaching, and Aligern--Adalgoth held the King's head upon hisknees--had hastened to the edge of the wood to look.

  "Yes, it is they," he cried as he returned; "Persian horsemen areriding up from both sides of the wood!"

  "Then make haste, Julius," begged Totila; "save Valeria! Take her toTeja at the sarcophagus."

  "I will make all speed, my friend! Farewell till we meet again!" AndJulius once more pressed Totila's hand. Then he mounted Pluto--he chosethe wounded horse, leaving his own, which was unhurt.

  Unseen by Totila, he set the helmet with its silver swan upon his head,folded the white mantle around him, and galloped out of the woodtowards the cloister hill.

  "This road," he thought, "is open and undefended, while the road whichthe King will take to the Spes Bonorum leads through wood and vineyard.Perhaps I shall succeed in attracting the pursuers away from him."

  And, in fact, he had no sooner issued from beneath the trees, and begunto ride up the hill, than he saw that the horsemen who had come frombeyond Taginae were eagerly following him.

  In order to keep the pursuers away from the King, and from discoveringtheir error, he urged his horse to its full speed.

  But the animal was wounded, and the way was very steep. Nearer andnearer came the pursuers.

  "Is it he?"

  "Yes, it is he."

  "No, it is not. He is too short," said the leader of the troop, whorode foremost.

  "Would he fly alone?"

  "That would be the best way to escape," observed the leader.

  "It is he most surely; I see the silver swan on his helmet!"

  "And the white mantle!"

  "But he rode a white horse," said the leader.

  "Yes, at first," said one of the horsemen; "but when it fell, struck bymy spear, they lifted him--I was close by--upon that charger."

  "Enough," said the leader, "you are right. I recognise the horse."

  "A noble animal! How it keeps on, and up hill, too, although wounded."

  "Yes, he is a noble animal! And I will make him stop. Pay attention!Halt, Pluto!" he shouted. "On your knees!"

  Snorting and trembling, the clever, obedient animal, in spite of spurand blows, stood stockstill, and slowly bent its fore-legs in the sand.

  "It is ruin, barbarian, to ride the Prefect's horse! There, take thatfor the Forum! and that for the Capitol! and that for Julius!"

  And the Prefect--for he it was--furiously hurled three spears one afterthe other, his own and two carried by Syphax, at the back of hisvictim, and with such force that they passed completely through thefugitive's body.

  Then Cethegus sprang from his horse, drew his sword, and taking thefallen man by the back of his helmet, dragged up his head from theearth.

  "Julius!" he screamed in horror.

  "You, O Cethegus!" Julius could just murmur.

  "Julius! you must not, must not die!"

  And Cethegus passionately tried to stanch the blood that issued fromthe three wounds.

  "If you love me," said the dying man, "save him--save Totila!" And hisgentle eyes closed for ever.

  Cethegus put his hand upon the heart of the dead man; he laid his earupon the bared breast.

  "All is over!" he then said, in a faint voice. "O Manilia! Julius, Iloved thee! And he died with _his_ name upon his lips! All is over!" hecried again, but this time in a voice of anger; "the last bond whichunited me to human love I have myself cut, deceived by mockingaccident! It was my last weakness! And now all tender feeling, be deadto me! Lift him on to the horse.--This, my Pluto, shall be your lastservice.--Take him--up there I see a chapel--take him there, and lethim be buried with all ceremony by the priests. Merely say that he diedas a monk--that he died for his friend. He deserves a Christian burial.But I," he added, with a terrible expression on his face, "I will oncemore seek his friend; I will unite them without delay--and for ever."

  And he mounted his horse.

  "Whither?" asked Syphax. "Back to Taginae?"

  "No! down into that wood. He must be hidden there, for thence cameJulius."

  During these occurrences the King had recovered, and now rode withAdalgoth, Aligern, and a few riders, straight out of the wood, on theouter edge of which the road ascended to the chapel hill. As theyissued from the trees they could distinctly perceive the walls of thebuilding.

  But they themselves had been seen, for they heard a yell to theirright, and over the open level a numerous troop of horsemen camegalloping towards them from the river.

  The King recognised the leader, and before his companions could preventhim, he spurred his horse, couched his spear, and rushed to meet hisenemy. Like two thunderbolts from the lowering heavens, the twohorsemen crashed together.

  "Insolent barbarian!"

  "Miserable traitor!"

  And both fell from their horses.

  They had met with such fury, that neither of them had thought ofdefending himself, but only of overthrowing his adversary.

  Furius Ahalla had fallen dead, for the King had pierced him to theheart through gilded shield and breastplate with such force, that theshaft of the spear had broken in the wound. But the King also sankdying into Adalgoth's arms. Ahalla's lance had entered his breast justbelow his throat.

  Adalgoth tore Valerians blue banner out of his belt and tried to stanchthe streaming blood--in vain; the bright blue was at once dyed deepred.

  "Gothia!" breathed Totila, "Italia! Valeria!"

  At this moment, before the unequal fight could commence, Alboin arrivedupon the spot with his Longobardians. He had followed the Prefect, notbeing inclined to remain idle while the fight was going on round thewalls of Taginae.

  The Longobardian looked silently and with emotion at the corpse of theKing.

  "He gave me my life--I could not save his," he said gravely.

  One of his horsemen pointed to the rich armour worn by the dead man.

  "No," said Alboin, "this royal hero must be buried with all his royaltrappings."

  "There, Alboin, on the rocky height above us," said Adalgoth, "hisbride and his tomb, self-chosen, have waited for him long."

  "Take him up! I will give safe-conduct to the noble corpse and thenoble bearers. Now, my men, follow me back to the fight!"