Marcus: the Young Centurion

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

  THE FIGHT BEGUN.

  Marcus was the first to break the silence.

  "Serge," he panted, "isn't he grand!"

  "Grand!" cried the old soldier, excitedly. "Grand arn't half bigenough. He's a hero, that's what he is; and only think of me with ahead like the old bull at home. Just as thick and stupid. Why, if hehadn't been such a great, wise, clever general as he is, he'd haveknocked me down with the hilt of his sword. But it's all right afterall, and look here, boy, you've got to do it."

  "We've got to do it, Serge," cried Marcus. "Why, the idea is splendid;but I say--Lupe?"

  "What about him?"

  "What are we to do with him?"

  "Nothing," said Serge, promptly; "he'll do for himself. Why, if youmade up your mind to leave him behind he'd come."

  "I suppose so, Serge. There's no press-house here in which to shut himup."

  "No, and there's no other way of getting rid of him but cutting off hishead," said the old soldier, grimly; "and you wouldn't like to do that."

  "Serge!" cried Marcus, taking for the moment his companion's words asbeing meant seriously.

  "Ah, I thought you wouldn't, boy," said the old fellow, smiling. "He'llhop into the chariot, of course, and when the way's clear we can let himdown for a run, and do him good. But no more talking; we've got to getready."

  "No," said Marcus; "we're soldiers, and all ready now. I can seenothing to do but wait till we see that it is time to go."

  "And that isn't far away," said Serge, "for here comes back one of thecaptains. Why, Marcus, boy, I feel happy enough to begin to dance.Just think of it: here we are off on quite a holiday, straight away forthe Roman camp, to get to your father at once, and--Oh, my thick head!I never thought of that!"

  "Thought of what?" said Marcus.

  "What we're going to do: both of us going straight to face the lion andput our heads into his mouth."

  "You mean my father?"

  "Of course."

  "Nonsense! He will have no time to think of punishing us."

  "Won't he?" growled Serge. "Trust the master for ever forgettinganything. We shall have it, and sharply too, after him and Julius havecome and done what they've got to do in the way they know how."

  "Pst! Don't talk," whispered Marcus. "Look, this officer is giving hisorders to the leaders of the chariots, and here he comes to us."

  The boy was right, for a few minutes later the officer came quickly tohim, and his words were very short.

  "You have your orders from the chief, young man?" he said. "Stand fastthere among these rocks till the line of chariots has moved off, andthen go down to the lower camp where the foot soldiers are as soon asthey have changed their station."

  He turned away directly, and as their driver sprang up, quite on thealert as he saw that something was on the way, Marcus went to one pony,Serge to the other, to see that every portion of the harness was inproper trim; and Lupe leaped out of the chariot and then back to thefront, to raise himself upon his hind legs and plant his paws on thefront as if he were in command and issuing his orders, which took theform of a deep bay.

  Directly after a sub-officer, who was in command of the line, gave anorder, each chariot was manned, and following one another in file theybegan rattling and bumping in and out amongst the rocks and hollows,slowly and noisily in the direction of the highest point of the passfrom which the way had been fought so short a time before.

  "Look yonder, Serge," cried Marcus, as he gazed beyond the outposts inthe direction of the hills that were dotted with the enemy.

  "Was looking, boy," growled the old soldier, "It's running all round uswherever the enemy can see. Why, it's like putting a stick into awasp's nest and giving it a stir round."

  "Yes, look, look, look!" cried Marcus. "What an excitement! Does itmean that they are going to attack at once? Because if they are weshan't get off."

  "Nay, they are only getting ready. You'll see them settle down againdirectly to watch our men and make sure what we are going to do."

  The chariots moved on, one following the other till the rough line wasall in motion, only one standing fast, and that one calling for the helpof both Marcus and Serge, who at a word from the driver ran to the headsof the ponies to assist in controlling them. For as the last chariotstarted off they made a desperate plunge forward to follow, so takingthe driver by surprise that the pair went on a few yards before theywere stopped by Marcus and Serge hanging on to their bits and backingthem to the place from which they had started.

  "Don't like being left behind," growled Serge.

  "Steady, boy, steady!" said Marcus, caressingly, as he patted thearching neck and smoothed down the wild, thick mane of the fiery littlesteed he held. "Wait a bit and we won't check you. You shall go, andas fast as you like, if we can only get clear ground."

  The swarthy little driver grasped the boy's words, and nodded and showedhis teeth, while in a few minutes the spirited animals were quieted downwhere they stood now with their heads turned from the slowly advancingline.

  "He ought to have been on the look-out," growled Serge. "Hullo! Howthe chief must have been arranging all this!" And then he stoodsilently with his young companion, watching the changes that werebeginning to take place in their little force.

  The spot on which they stood was sufficiently elevated to give the pairof spectators a pretty good view of the little beleaguered camp. All atonce the line of chariots was halted, while a fresh agitation commencedwhere the cavalry had been posted. There was a quick change wherehorses and men were massed together, and the light played and flashedfrom helmet and shield, while the men's spears glittered like so manypoints of light, as they sprang on to the backs of their horses and soonafter were in motion, forming into another line which moved to the frontof the chariots and were stopped in due time a little in advance.

  "Why, he's making quite a show of it," growled Serge, "and the littlearmy looks as if it were slowly going into action just for us to see."

  "Yes," said Marcus, eagerly, "but look out yonder too. The enemy areadvancing. They are gradually coming down that deep little valley,trickling like a stream."

  "To be sure they are," said Serge, "and they are doing the same overyonder too."

  "Well, doesn't that mean that they are going to attack at once?"

  "No, boy; I fancy it only means to close us in and sweep us before themright up into the narrow of the pass again. They are beginning to takeit."

  "Take what?"

  "Take what? Why, what our general means. I am not going to call him acaptain any more. He's acting like a general, and a good one too. Theenemy don't mean to attack--not yet, because you see they have got nohead man to make a big plan for them all to work together. You see,they are all little bodies and tribes and bits of tribes, each under itsown leader, and everyone thinks himself a general and acts just as helikes, and that's where they often get in a muddle, good fighters asthey are. Look at them now. There's another lot yonder going slowlydown from that hill into the hollow and coming creeping towards us."

  "Yes, and right away from that opposite hill there's another tribecoming down," cried Marcus, whose voice was husky with excitement.

  "That's right," growled Serge, "and don't you see, not one lot has movedtowards the upper pass. Why have they left that way open?"

  "I don't know," said Marcus. "Perhaps some of the enemy will movetowards it soon."

  "Not they," growled Serge, with a deep, low chuckle. "Our general'slaid a trap for them, and they are walking in. They know that we mustbe running short of provisions, and they think that we are going toretreat. It looks like it, don't it? There goes an advance guard ofthe foot, marching to the front of the horse. Well done, brave boys!There are some fine men amongst them to step together like that! Yes,there they go, about a third of them straight for the upper pass, andthe whole of our little army will soon be under weigh as if in fullretreat."

  "And then
the enemy will attack," cried Marcus.

  "Perhaps not yet. They know what it's like up yonder amongst the snows,and they think that, tired and half starved, our poor fellows will bemarching to their death, leaving their enemies very little work to dobeside cutting down the stragglers. Ah, depend upon it, all theselittle petty generals think they have a great victory within their handswithout any cost to themselves, and that none of our poor fellows willget across the pass alive."

  "Oh, don't talk, Serge," cried Marcus, excitedly. "Look at the enemy!There's more and more of them getting into motion. They are beginningto come from all round."

  "Yes, as I said before, like a nest of stingers stirred up with a stick;but we are getting all in motion too," continued Serge. "Every captainhas had his orders, and he's beginning to head his men as it comes tohis turn. Look how the infantry are tramping along to lead the way!Now the horse are getting ready to start! Take it coolly, my lads. Youought to be leading those horses over that stony ground; but I supposethe general wants to make a show and let it seem as if we were in fullretreat."

  "Will the chariots go next?" asked Marcus.

  "Yes, boy, of course, with the baggage behind them, and all the strengthof the infantry to form the rear-guard. You can see that for yourself,for the foot-men haven't moved."

  "No," said Marcus, "but the enemy are moving more and more into twogreat parties, advancing so as to meet where the pass begins to narrow.Why, Serge, if they get there first they'll cut our retreating line intwo."

  "They would," said the old soldier, with a chuckle, "if they could, butour general will be too smart for that. He's got it all carefullyplanned out, and when those two great streams of men come together outyonder they will be well in the rear. But now look at them. You cansee right round the camp from here. What are the enemy doing? Tryingto surround us?"

  "No," said Marcus, after a long inspection; "they are all graduallyturning in the same direction and getting into motion, as if to drive usback into the pass."

  "Yes, and it looks pretty and bright up yonder with the sun shining onthe snow. To see it from here, boy, no one would think it meant bitterwinds and a cold that cuts through you and turns men drowsy so that theywant to lie down and die."

  "No," said Marcus, with a slight shudder. "Ah!" he added, excitedly."Our big rear-guard is beginning to stir, and the enemy are still movingon. Why, in a short time the lower part of the camp will have none ofthem beyond it."

  "That's right," cried Serge, as he shaded his eyes and gazed long andfixedly towards the lower part of the amphitheatre far beyond which,looking green and beautiful, stretched away the sunny plains of Gaul;"and that means, boy, that things will be just as our general intendedthat they should, clear of the enemy and ready for us to creepcautiously down like a pack of deserters trying to save our skins."

  "Yes, but I want to be moving," cried Marcus, who was ready to stampwith impatience. "I want to be leading the horses down through thiswilderness of rocks so as to get away to the open land, where we cansend them off at a gallop with the wind whistling about their ears. Iwant to see their manes and tails flying, Serge, and feel the chariotrock as the wheels spin round and bump over the hillocks and stones.Then on and on as fast as we can go, straight for the main army, to tearup to the guards with my message and bring them back. Oh, how slowlythey move! Why doesn't the chief hurry the men, and why doesn't theenemy follow them at a rush? I want to be stirring; I want to go."

  "Well done, young hurry-me-up!" chuckled Serge. "That's all verypretty. You want this and you want that, and you want to be racing theponies along and making the chariot rock and the wheels spin round, tillbump, crash, one of the wheels flies off or drops to pieces, over goesthe car, sending you yesterday and me to-morrow, and the driving boywith his head knocked off, while the poor ponies stand staring andbroken-winded, and no message taken to the master."

  "What are you talking about, Serge?" cried Marcus, angrily.

  "You, boy, and what you want to do," growled the old man. "That's notthe way to carry a despatch, and if we are going to get where we want,it will have to be slow and sure. It will be all very well going to theheads of the ponies as soon as the way's clear and leading them in andout amongst the rocks, so that if any of the enemy sees us he'll thinkwe are sneaking away; but when that's done and we are clear of theenemy, what then?"

  "Why, we must gallop off," cried Marcus, excitedly. "This is not a timefor your slow and sure."

  "Oh, arn't it?" grumbled Serge. "Then you want to gallop right away atonce, do you?"

  "Of course."

  "Which way? What way? And how?"

  "What are you talking about?" cried Marcus.

  "You know, and yet you don't know. Where's our army? Haven't we got tofind the track they left?"

  "Of course."

  "Yes, of course, boy, but where's the beginning of it?" growled Serge,as he made a comprehensive motion, sweeping round one hand. "There willbe no one to ask, for the country will be cleared--all the fighting mengone to the wars, all the women and children and old folk hiding amongthe mountains. Our army will have made a clean sweep of everything, andwe have got to eat. It all sounds very nice, my boy, but to go off at agallop such as you speak of means riding to nowhere, and the army neverfound."

  "Oh, Serge, don't talk like that."

  "Must, boy. We will gallop when we can, but lots of the time we shallpretty well have to crawl."

  "Oh!" groaned Marcus, as he felt the truth of the old soldier's words.

  "There, don't make a noise like that, but look round here and see what'sgoing on. It's a sight, boy, such as you may never see again."

  "I can't stand and look at sights," cried the boy, angrily.

  "But you must. It's part of the work you have on hand. You must watchfor the time that is best for our start. You can't say anything tothat."

  "No," sighed Marcus, "that's right; but see what a time we have beenwaiting now. It must be hours since the general came and gave me hiscommand."

  "Well, not hours, but it's a long time, boy, and it will be longer yetbefore we shall dare to stir. Why, there are thousands of men belowthere, and hundreds more coming into sight just along the part we shallhave to go, and we must wait till they have all marched off right andleft to join the rest before we shall dare to start."

  "But you are making the worst of it, Serge," cried Marcus, eagerly, ashe glanced round from his post of observation at the magnificent sightof men in motion, glittering arms, trampling horse, and all framed in bythe sterile rocks, the snow-capped hills, and the dazzling blue skyabove.

  "Perhaps I am, boy, and all the better for us; but it's much the best tolook troubles straight in the face and not to come to grief from beingtoo hopeful."

  And as to time, so it proved, for after about another two hours hadelapsed, with the boy bubbling over with impatience, they were able tofeel that they might venture downward through the lower part of theamphitheatre, where they would be getting more into the shelter of rockand valley, and beyond the ken of the two trampling multitudes urgingtheir way on after the little army now in full motion higher up thepass, the leading foot showing still clearly and nearly as distinctly asif close at hand, though quite a couple of miles from where the chariotstood.

  "Ah," cried Serge, at last, "now I think we will start."

  "Yes, come on," cried Marcus. "But why did you say that?" he added,hastily.

  "Because the fight's begun, boy."

  "Where? How?" cried Marcus.

  "Look yonder towards that patch of grey rock which glitters in the sun.That's where our stout rear-guard is. If you look hard you will be justable to see something moving slowly and something like a dark cloud justbehind. That's the enemy's, front just coming into action, driving ourmen on. Hark! Do you hear how the hum of the enemy's troops' soundschanged?"

  "Yes, I think so. It comes echoing along the rocks."

  "Well, that's the barbarians cheering the others on." />
  "Oh," cried Marcus, "the attack begun, when we haven't even stirred tofetch the help! Serge, shall we reach the army to-night?"

  "Nay, nor to-morrow night either, boy."

  "And the fight begun!" cried Marcus. "Why, before we can get to myfather and Caius Julius our little force will be destroyed."

  "Bah! Don't you get setting up for a prophet like that. Do you thinkour men are going to sit down and let themselves be swallowed up withoutstriking a blow? What are you thinking of, boy? Isn't our generalmarching his men into the narrow gorge again where he will be safelywalled in, with only a little front to defend? You let him alone. Hewill stop and turn as soon as he has found a spot he likes, one that hecan easily hold; and there he'll be with his rear open for men to goover the pass and forage for food. He knows what he's about, and weknow what we have got to do."

  "Yes," said Marcus, with a sigh; "we know, but--"

  "But you needn't watch the going on of the fight, boy, for at thisdistance it's nearly all guess work and little see, and here as far as Ican make out no one can notice us if we begin to move, so now's the timeto start."

  "Ah!" cried Marcus, triumphantly, as he turned to the horse's head onhis side.

  Serge made for the other, and the great dog reared himself up with hispaws upon the front of the chariot and his jaws parted, to send forthone of his deep, barking volleys.

  But at a cry from Marcus he sank down as if abashed, and the only soundsthat were heard above the deep, low hum of the trampling army ofbarbarians, were the soft rattling of the chariot wheels, and the beatof the horses' hoofs upon the stony ground, as they began cautiously tomake for the end of the amphitheatre and its labyrinth of rocks.