by Felix Dahn
CHAPTER X.
Meanwhile the straggle outside the gates was being decided.
The barbarians some eighty horsemen, had several times approached theriver, but never within bow-shot; they had also trotted towards theblockaded bridge, but had made no attack on that strong position. Theeyes of the people on the ramparts and of the attacking party weredirected intently towards this enemy in the _west_.
When the bridge was reached Severus ordered a small opening to be madein the barricade, through which only two men at a time could gain theleft bank, and now, as the two last of the long train of burgherspassed through--the bridge was still occupied by its originalgarrison--there sounded from the hills of the eastern forest, from the_right_ bank, the piercing cry of the black eagle.
Cornelius quickly turned and looked towards the east. "Heardest thouthe cry of the eagle?"
Severus nodded. "A good omen for Roman warriors! Seest thou how ourgolden eagle on the standard seems to raise its wings?"
But Cornelius did not look at the standard-bearer; he looked onlytowards the eastern forest. "A column of smoke rises up from thechamois rock."
"A charcoal-burner! Turn thy face! In the _west_ stands the enemy.Lower the spears! Forward!"
In two extended lines near each other, each three men deep, they nowadvanced towards the agile horsemen, who had quickly ridden back fromthe river as this mass of footmen passed over; they had halted half-waybetween the stream and the western forest, and had formed in twoparallel lines. Only a spear's throw separated the enemies.
Then as Severus and Cornelius, slowly advancing their columns, werejust going to raise their spears, two Germans rode slowly towards them,ceremoniously turning the points of their lances downwards.
"Halt!" cried Severus to his troops. "They wish to parley. Let uslisten to them!"
The two horsemen came now quite close to Severus and Cornelius. Thecombatants on each side stood back in anxious expectation.
One of the two Germans, a youthful, towering, splendid figure, on amilk-white steed, was by the ornaments and splendour of his armscharacterised as a leader; he might be more than ten years younger thanCornelius, who noticed with envy the muscular strength of the nakedright arm of the young barbarian, adorned and at the same timestrengthened by broad golden armlets; the left arm was covered by asmall round shield, painted red, embellished in the centre with aspokeless wheel, a Rune or a picture of the sun. His breast wasprotected by splendidly-worked armour--ah! with feelings of angerSeverus recognised, by the badges of honour appended thereto, that ithad been the panoply of a distinguished Roman officer, a legate or_magister militum_;--he wore short leather breeches; from the ankleupwards the calf of the leg was bound round with neat leather straps;the left only of the two closely-fitting wooden shoes bore a spur; therider scorned saddle and stirrups; a short double axe was stuck in hisgirdle, a white woollen mantle, fastened together so that it hinderedno movement, hung at his back; it was the hand of the mother--for thisyouth was certainly yet unwedded--who had worked the handsome, broad,bright red stripe on its border; splendid light golden hair floated onhis shoulders in natural curls, and surrounded the dazzlinglybeautiful, maidenlike white face; and on the proudly arched Romanhelmet, also obtained by plunder, towered, instead of the Latin blackhorse-tail, the pinion of the gray heron.
The second horseman, a gigantic, gray-haired man of about sixty years,with a gray beard falling low on his breast and waving in the wind,seemed to be the leader oL the retinue of his chief. He was simplydressed and armed; the mane and tail of his powerful war-horse, a brownstallion, were prettily interwoven with red and yellow ribbons; on hisshoulders he wore the skin of a wolf, whose open jaws yawned at theenemy from the top of his helmet; his shield was painted in red andyellow circles; at his unarmed breast he carried a mighty horn of thebison of the primeval forest.
The commander now raised his lowered spear, threw it into thebridle-hand, and offered the right to Severus, who took it withhesitation, and immediately let it fall.
"First a grasp of the hand," cried the German, with a soft,richly-toned voice, in very good Vulgate Latin--"first a grasp of thehand, then, if you so wish it, a stroke with the sword. I know thee;thou art the brave Severus, formerly the _Magister Militum_. Thou artgallantly continuing the struggle at a lost post, for a lost cause. Ipride myself in being the son of the hero Liutbert, king of theAlemanni. My name is Liuthari, and no man has yet conquered me."
Severus frowned darkly. "I have heard of thy father's name, and ofthine, you have stormed Augusta Vindelicorum."
"But not retained possession of it," cried the king's son; and hisclear gray eyes shone pleasantly. "Who would wish to live in walledgraves? Also in your Juvavum we shall not settle."
"That is provided against," muttered Severus.
But Liuthari threw back his locks, laughing.
"Wait a little! But say first, for whom leadest thou these burghersinto the field? In whose name dost thou defend Juvavum?"
"For the Imperator of Ravenna, who, as a good omen, unites the names ofthe first king and the first emperor; for Romulus Augustulus, the lordof the whole earth."
Then the German drew a papyrus roll from his girdle, and threw it toCornelius.
"I thought so," said he. "You know less than we barbarians what ishappening in your own Italy--in your own imperial chief city. Read whatis written to me by one who knows it well. There is no longer anEmperor of the West! Romulus Augustulus--the boy's name is certainly agood omen _for us_!--is deposed. He lives henceforth on an island, andfeeds peacocks; and on his throne sits my brother-in-law, the husbandof my beautiful sister--Odoacer the brave. He has himself written it tous."
Cornelius had glanced through the composition. He tamed pale andsilently gave it to Severus, who read it trembling.
"There is no doubt!" said he, almost voiceless. "I know the man; he hasserved under me. Odoacer does not lie."
"And we do not lie!" cried the gray-bearded companion of Liuthari. Heurged on his horse and took the letter from the hand of Severus. "Tosplit shields, not to falsify Runes, have I taught King Liutbert'sson."
One could well believe that of the old man. Before he put the roll intohis girdle he looked into it with an important air; it did not disturbhim that the letters were upside down.
Severus supported himself on his spear. Cornelius looked darkly beforehim. "I knew it," he then said. "I had almost wished for it when I sawit was unavoidable; and now it is come it crushes me."
"No longer an Imperator in Rome!" groaned Severus.
"Italy in the hands of the barbarians!" sighed Cornelius.
"You awake my deepest pity, gallant heroes," said the king's son, in agrave tone. "But now you see well: the battle must come to an endbefore it begins. For whom, for what will you yet fight?"
"For the future!" cried Severus.
"For the past--for honour!" cried Cornelius.
"For immortal Rome!" said both.
"Byzantium yet rules--soon will Byzantium send another Emperor,"threatened Severus.
"Perhaps!" said Liuthari, shrugging his shoulders. "But in the meantimewe want a settling-place, fields, and pasturage, we Germans. Andtherefore I bring you a message in my father's name: 'So speaksLiutbert, the King of the Alemanni, in his own name and in that of hisallies'"----
"Who are these allies?" interrupted Cornelius.
"You will find out quicker than you will like," answered grufflyLiuthari's companion.
Liuthari continued: "'Let him stay in the land who will do sopeaceably; he who will not stay let him peaceably retire. Thefortresses to be vacated; they must be destroyed. Two-thirds of theland remain to you; one-third is for us.' That is a reasonabledivision."
But Severus started up angrily, raising his spear. "Bold barbarian!Darest thou thus to speak, with eighty barbarians against the host ofJuvavum's burghers? Thou hast learnt to speak as a Latin, but not tothink as a Roman!"
"I should think," interposed Corne
lius, "that your country was largeenough for you, ye Alemanni, when you can only send eighty horsemen toconquer Juvavum. Do you think I can yield to _you_?"
A peculiar smile played around the young German's handsome mouth, aboutwhich the first downy beard charmingly curled. "Take care, Roman! Arewe too few for thee? Soon may we seem too many. Out of a few thewonder-working Wotan wakes many! For the last time--evacuate thefortress; divide peaceably the country!"
"Never! Back, barbarian!" cried the two Romans at once.
Liuthari turned his horse suddenly round. "It is your wish. You are,then, lost. Wotan has you all!"
The two horsemen then galloped back to their men.
"Haduwalt, sound the horn!"
The old master-in-arms put the horn to his mouth, and a load roaringtone struck on the ear of the Romans; and before they could obey thecommand of their leaders and advance against the enemy, there soundedbehind them, _in the east_, from the river, from the town, now quitenear, the loud cry of the black eagle; and immediately afterwards sucha fearful noise of whoops, cries of anguish, and the clashing ofweapons, that all the six hundred men, and both commanders, turned indismay. Horror and despair seized them. Germans--Germans innumerable,as it appeared to the alarmed Romans rushed forth from the easternforest, and from all the slopes of the mountains and brushwood of thehills. A strong detachment hurried towards the bridge; others, on horseand on foot, threw themselves into the river above and below thebridge; but the greater part, laden with ladders and trunks of trees onwhich the horizontal branches had been left, approached the town; andwith fierce rage the shut-out citizens saw how whole masses of thestormers, crowding together like ants, helped to raise each other,supported themselves on the ladders, beams, and trees, climbed up, and,in many places almost without resistance from the few sentinels, atonce gained the crown of the ramparts.
Juvavum, the town, was conquered before its defenders had been able tostrike a blow.
The garrison had been enticed out, with the exception of the soldiersof the Tribune. Were _they_ still in the Capitol? The leaders lookedanxiously towards the tower: the imperial _Vexillum_ was stillfluttering at its summit.
But the cry of joy with which the Alemannian horsemen greeted thesuccess of their heroic confederates recalled the Romans to thethreatening danger from this near enemy. Severus ordered Cornelius,with about a hundred men, to engage the Alemannian troopers, while hehimself, with the greater part of the deeply discouraged burghers,turned back to the bridge, to assist its garrison, which was now beingattacked from the unprotected open east side.
He again heard the sound of Haduwalt's horn. Severus turned.
"Yield!" cried the king's son. "You are lost!"
"Never!" cried Cornelius, and threw his spear as Liuthari was gallopingtowards him.
Liuthari turned the stroke aside with his shield arm: the next instantCornelius fell backwards, pierced to the heart through shield andarmour by the lance of the German hurled while at full speed.
"I will avenge thee!" cried Severus, and was turning towards the king'sson; but at the same moment a cry of distress again called himeastwards.
The enemy had overpowered the garrison of the bridge; already many ofthe swimmers, horsemen and footmen intermixed, had reached the troopsof Severus. Active youths, whose yellow hair floated in the wind fromtheir uncovered heads, ran, holding on to the manes of the horses; andthus attacked at once by horse and foot, the citizens of Juvavum,knowing their town, their relatives, were already in the power of theconqueror, threw away their arms, and fled on all sides. At the sametime the Alemanni from the west rode down the hundred men of Cornelius.
Severus stood alone: his spear fell from his hand.
The leader of the enemy that had come so suddenly from the east thenapproached him. He had galloped in advance of his followers on to thebridge, where his horse was pierced and fell. He then advanced on foot,a giant in stature. The mighty pinion of the black eagle bristledmenacingly on his helm; his red hair, combed towards the crown, anddrawn together behind, fell below his helmet; an enormous bear-skinhung on his shoulders: he raised his stone battle-axe.
"Throw down thy sword, old man, and live," cried this giant, in Latin.
"Throw down this sword?" said Severus. "I will not live!"
"Then die!" cried the other, and hurled his stone axe.
Severus fell: his breast-plate was rent in twain, it fell in two piecesfrom his body.
He supported himself painfully on his left arm: the conquering sword hehad not yet let fall.
The victor bent over him, picking up his axe.
"Tell me, before I die," said Severus, with a weak voice, "in whosehands is Juvavum fallen? Of what race are you? Are you Alemanni?"
"No, Roman; we have been summoned by the Alemanni. We do not come fromthe west. We come from the east, up the Danube. We have taken all theRoman towns from Carnuntum hither; the last legion this side of theAlps have we defeated at Vindobona. We share the land with our comradesthe Alemanni--the Licus is the boundary. Look here; already from themountains of the east our people stream down into the country--womenand children, waggons and herds--that is the advanced guard; tomorrowwill come the great horde."
"And what is your name?"
"We were called formerly Marcomanni; but now, 'the men of Bajuhemum,'the Bajuvaren, all this land is ours for ever, as far as one can see tothe north from the Alpine ridge. Yield, then, gray-head! there yetremains to thee"----
"This sword," said Severus, and he thrust into his heart the conqueringsword of the Emperor Probus.
The giant drew it out and a stream of blood rushed forth.
"Ah!" said the Bajuvaren. "The old man is dead. It would be a pity,"continued he slowly, looking at the sword, "if this good blade werelost. Come, brave weapon; serve henceforth the new lord of the land.But now must I thank Liuthari; everything hit together admirably. Yes;these Alemanni! They are almost wiser than we! Hojo, Sigo, Heilo!"cried he, holding his two hands hollowed before his mouth. "Liuthari!beloved, where tarriest thou? Garibrand calls, the Bajuvaren duke.Hojoho! Sigo! Heiloho! Now let us share the booty and the land!"
Liuthari galloped forward and offered his hand to the duke. "Welcome inour new home! Welcome in victory!" cried he, with a joyous voice.
But then sounded from the town fresh noise of arms and tumult ofbattle.
"The victory is not yet complete," said Garibrand, pointing with hisaxe to the Capitol.
There was now heard, through the battle-cries of the Bajuvaren in thetown, the clear warlike call of the tuba. "That is the Roman generaland his host!" cried the duke. "He is coming from the fortress downinto the town on my men! Quick! bring me another horse! Into the town!To the help of my heroes!"
