Bissula. English

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XXX.

  During the following night Saturninus made a little reconnoitringexpedition northward and, as far as it was possible to venture into theswamps without trustworthy guides, towards the east. But he wascompelled to return to camp about noon without success.

  "They are evidently hiding in the northwest," he said angrily to hisbest officer, Decius, as they rode side by side. "But none of theguides will go in that direction, and we cannot penetrate into thoseforest-clad mountains by force until Nannienus arrives. If we had onlybrought his troops with us by land! It is almost useless, it seems tome, to build galleys to blockade the lake."

  "Yes," Decius assented. "The Barbarians must have burned all theirboats, or carried them inland: not one is to be seen."

  Directly after the General's return a Batavian came to his tent, andasked to see him alone.

  "What do you desire, brave Rignomer?"

  "To report myself for punishment. I drank too much wine."

  "When?"

  "Last night."

  "How? While on guard outside the camp?"

  "No, after I was relieved."

  "The trader will be scourged. Who sold it to you?"

  "No one. That was just it! I shouldn't have drunk so much if I hadbought it. But given! A present of Massican wine! Who can resist it?"

  "No German, it seems. And you report for punishment? Of your own freewill? Highly improbable. You were probably detected and wish toanticipate?"

  "No: no one discovered me. When I was relieved, I had been completelysobered by fright."

  "Why?"

  "My lord,"--he spoke hesitatingly,--"it is about the Idise."

  "Who is that?"

  "Why, the red-haired wood nymph."

  "What of her?" asked the Illyrian eagerly, now keenly intent.

  "My lord, I wish her well! As--as we all do."

  "As we all do?"

  "Yes, yes," replied the German, smiling, "even you. General; I've noticedit. Well, I report for punishment, and will tell the whole storybecause--because I'm afraid the little one's life is in danger."

  "Tell your story," Saturninus commanded, evidently startled. "Who gaveyou the wine?"

  "Davus, the Prefect's slave."

  "Ah--and what happened then?"

  "Then it happened that I drank too much, and when I mounted guard outsideof the little one's tent, I soon fell asleep on the soft turf. A terriblegrowling roused me. The she-bear owned by a juggler, a Sarmatian, whichI brought into camp yesterday and carried to the captive girl, actedexactly as though she were a human being, that is, a man; for she followedthe red elf everywhere."

  "Suspicious! Did Bissula know the animal? Did she call it by any name?"

  "No. But she was very much pleased when she saw the she-bear; her faceflushed and paled. So much pleased that I asked, as you did just now:'Bissula, do you know each other? How does it happen that the beastwill have nothing to do with anybody except you? Hark! how friendly hergrowl sounds: why doesn't she treat us the same?'

  "'Oh,' replied Bissula, laughing, 'she comes from our country and sheknows that I am the only one who understands her Alemanni language.Don't you believe me? Well, then ask her,' she added, still laughing,shaking back her curling locks, 'maybe she will tell you.'

  "In short, the monster would not leave her side, and followed her intothe tent when she went to bed. So the bear's growling waked me. Istarted up and saw by the light of the campfire a man, running at fullspeed, vanish around the corner of the nearest tent.

  "I rushed in. The young girl had seen nothing--she had fallen asleep.She was trying to soothe the furious animal, which, bleeding from adagger thrust in its right fore-paw, was angrily crunching in its jawsa piece of brown cloth. At last Bissula, while washing the wound,coaxed it away. Here it is."

  He gave it to Saturninus. The Roman General examined it closely.

  "This is certainly--but stay! Do you speak first, Rignomer. What do youthink it is?"

  "A fragment from the hem of a mantle."

  "What kind of a mantle?"

  "A Roman one: a sagum,"

  "Who wear brown mantles--the only ones?"

  "The Thracian spearmen and the mailed riders."

  "Right. Say nothing of this matter to any one; and go."

  "And my punishment?"

  "You are pardoned. But drink gift wine cautiously in future."

  "Indeed I will, General."

  "In the inspection I am about to make you will act shrewdly andprudently, as I order. And listen: one thing more. You owe the younggirl some atonement: do you perceive it?"

  "Unfortunately."

  "Will you make it?"

  "Gladly."

  "Then mark me. She has complained that I have her watched continually,even during the day. Thrax, my fat scribe, to whom I gave the secretcommission, has acted very awkwardly; she found him out long ago. Ipromised to rid her of him. But she must not remain unguarded."

  "Certainly not."

  "After this attack less than ever. You, Rignomer,--I will relieve youmeanwhile from any other duty,--must henceforth follow the young girl:but unnoticed."

  "I thank you, General. I'll make amends for my fault. She shall neitherescape nor come to any harm. And she shall not discover that she isconstantly watched and guarded."

  Directly afterwards the tubas gave the signal through the streets ofthe camp for a general inspection of the troops, in marchingequipments, with mantles. The foot-soldiers were to occupy the widespace on both sides of the Praetorium in the Forum and the Quaestorium,and the cross streets intersecting the camp from east to west, the ViaPrincipalis and the Via Quintana; but the horsemen were to remaindirectly in front of their rows of tents, near the southern gate facingthe lake, the Porta Decumana.

  The Tribune mounted his horse and rode along the front. When he hadinspected the Batavians, he ordered a body of them to follow him andstation themselves behind the mailed riders, at the same time making asign to Rignomer. The Tribune first rode at a walk down the lines ofthe mailed cavalry, then he ordered them to wheel and pass before him.

  "You look pale, O Herculanus!" he called to their commander. "Have youbeen up all night? Did you sacrifice to Bacchus after the eveningbanquet?"

  "A little."

  Saturninus now closed the inspection. Turning the corner of the ViaMedia, which intersected the camp from north to south, he motioned toRignomer, dismounted, and gave him his horse.

  "Who had a piece missing from his mantle?"

  "No one. But one had a new piece of cloth sewed into the hem--the colordid not match, it had not yet been faded by the sun exactly the size ofthat scrap."

  "An officer?"

  "Yes."

  "It was he: it was Herculanus."

  "But my lord, you saw the horsemen only from the front."

  "Yet I know it. Be watchful. Guard the little one."