Beric the Briton : a Story of the Roman Invasion

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER V: THE SACK OF CAMALODUNUM

  Upon the morning of the day fixed for the gathering of the Icenipreparations were begun early at Cardun. Oxen and swine wereslaughtered, great fires made, and the women in the village wereall employed in making and baking oaten cakes upon the hearth. Forsome days many of them had been employed in making a great storeof fermented honey and water. Men began to flock in from an earlyhour, and by midday every male of the Sarci capable of bearingarms had come in. Each brought with him a supply of cooked meat andcakes sufficient to last for three or four days. In the afternoonthe tribes began to pour in, each tribe under its chiefs. Therewas no attempt at order or regularity; they came trooping in inmasses, the chiefs sometimes in chariots sometimes on horseback,riding at their head. Parta welcomed them, and food was served outto the men while the chiefs were entertained in the hall. Beric,looking at the wild figures, rough and uncouth but powerful andmassive in frame, was filled with regret that these men knew nothingof discipline, and that circumstances had forced on the war sosuddenly.

  The contrast between these wild figures and the disciplinedveterans of Rome, whom he had so often watched as they performedtheir exercises, was striking indeed. Far inferior in height andmuscular power to the tribesmen, the legionaries bore themselveswith a proud consciousness in their fighting power that alone wenta long way towards giving them victory. Each man trusted not onlyin himself, but on his fellows, and believed that the legion towhich he belonged was invincible. Their regular arms, their broadshields and helmets, all added to their appearance, while theirmassive formation, as they stood shoulder to shoulder, shieldtouching shield, seemed as if it could defy the utmost efforts ofundisciplined valour. However, Beric thought with pride that his owntribe, the sixteen hundred men he had for six weeks been trainingincessantly, would be a match even for the Roman veterans. Theirinferiority in the discipline that was carried to such perfectionamong the Romans would be atoned for by their superior strengthand activity. His only fear was, that in the excitement of battlethey would forget their teaching, and, breaking their ranks, fightevery man for himself. He had, however, spared no pains in impressingupon them that to do this would be to throw away all that they hadlearned.

  "I have not taught you to fight in Roman fashion," he said, "merelythat you might march in regular order and astonish the othertribesmen, but that you should be cool and collected, should beable patiently to stand the shock of the Roman legion, and to fight,not as scattered units, but as a solid whole. You will do well tobear this in mind, for to those who disobey orders and break theline when engaged with the foe I will show no mercy. My orderswill be given to each sergeant of ten men to run a spear throughany man who stirs from his post, whether in advance or in retreat,whether to slay or to plunder. The time may come when the safetyof the whole army depends upon your standing like a wall betweenthem and the Romans, and the man who advances from his place in theranks will, as much as the man who retreats, endanger the safetyof all."

  Over and over again had he impressed this lesson upon them. Sometimeshe had divided them in two parts, and engaged in mimic fight. Thelarger half, representing the tribesmen, advanced in their ordinaryfashion with loud shouts and cries, while the smaller sectionmaintained their solid formation, and with levelled spears, fivedeep, waited the attack. Even those who were least impressed withthe advantages of the exercises through which they had been going,could not but feel how immensely superior was the solid order, andhow impossible would it have been for assailants to burst throughthe hedge of pointed weapons.

  By sunset well nigh thirty thousand men had arrived, each subtribepassing through the village and taking up its post on the slopesaround it, where they were at once supplied with food by the women.

  With the fighting men were large numbers of women, for thesegenerally accompanied the Britons on their warlike expeditions.Just at sunset a shout arose from the tribesmen on the north sideof the village, and Boadicea, with her daughters and chief councillors,drove into the village. Her mien was proud and lofty. She carrieda spear in her hand and a sword in her girdle. She had resumedher royal ornaments, and a fillet of gold surrounded her head. Hergarments were belted in with a broad girdle of the same metal, andshe wore heavy gold armlets and bracelets. She looked with prideupon the tribesmen who thronged shouting to greet her, and exclaimedas she leapt from her chariot, "The day of vengeance is at hand."

  The fires blazed high all that night round Cardun. Numbers ofbards had accompanied the tribes, as not only had those who livedin the households of the principal chiefs come in, but many hadbeen attracted from the country lying near their borders. At everyfire, therefore, songs were sung and tales told of the valour andglory of the heroes of old. Mingled with these were laments overthe evil days that had befallen Britain, and exhortations to theirhearers to avenge the past and prove themselves worthy of theirancestors.

  In similar manner the night was passed in Parta's hall. Here thechief bards were assembled, with all the tribal leaders, and viedwith each other in their stirring chants. Beric moved about amongthe guests, seeing that their wants were supplied, while Partaherself looked after those who were gathered on the dais. Bericlearned from the old chief Aska, who had first spoken to him on theday of their arrival at the sacred oak, that all Britain was ripefor the rising, and that messengers had been received not only fromthe Brigantes, but from many of the southern and western tribes,with assurances that they would rise as soon as they heard thatthe Iceni had struck the first blow.

  "The Trinobantes will join us at Camalodunum. All goes well.Suetonius, with the legions, is still in the far west. We shallmake an end of them here before he can return. By that time we shallhave been joined by most of the tribes, and shall have a force thatwill be sufficient to destroy utterly the army he is leading. Thatdone, there will be but the isolated forts to capture and destroy,and then Britain will be free from the invader. You think this willbe so, Beric?"

  "I hope and trust so," Beric replied. "I think that success inour first undertakings is a certainty, and I trust we may defeatSuetonius. With such numbers as we shall put in the field we oughtsurely to be able to do so. It is not of the present I think somuch as of the future. Rome never submits to defeat, and will sendan army here to which that of Suetonius would be but a handful.But if we remain united, and utilize the months that must elapsebefore the Romans can arrive in preparing for the conflict, weought to be victorious."

  "You feel sure that the Romans will try to reconquer Britain?"

  "Quite sure. In all their history there is not an instance wherethey have submitted to defeat. This is one of the main reasons oftheir success. I am certain that, at whatever sacrifices, they willequip and send out an army that they will believe powerful enoughfor the purpose."

  "But they were many years after their first invasion before theycame again."

  "That is true; but in those first two invasions they did not conquer.In the first they were forced to retire, and therefore came again;in the second they had success enough to be able to claim a victoryand so to retire with honour. Besides, Rome is vastly stronger andmore powerful now than she was then. Believe me, Aska, the strugglewill be but begun when we have driven the last Roman from theisland."

  "We must talk of this again," Aska said, "as it is upon us that thebrunt of this struggle will fall. We shall have the chief voice andinfluence after it is over, and Boadicea will stand in the placethat Cunobeline held, of chief king of the island. Then, as yousay, much will depend on the steps we take to prepare to resist thenext invasion; and young as you are, your knowledge of Roman wayswill render your counsels valuable, and give great weight to youradvice."

  "I do not wish to put myself in any way in the foreground," Bericsaid. "I am still but a boy, and have no wish to raise my voicein the council of chiefs; but what I have learned of Roman historyand Roman laws I would gladly explain to those who, like yourself,speak with the voice of authority, and whose wisdom all recognize."

  In the morni
ng Boadicea said that reports had been brought to herof the manner in which Beric had been teaching the Sarci to fightin Roman fashion, and that she should be glad to see the result.

  Accordingly the tribesmen proceeded to the open fields a mile away,where they had been accustomed to drill, and they were followed bythe whole of those gathered round the village. The queen and Partadrove out in their chariots. When they reached the spot the chiefsof the other tribes, at Beric's request, called upon their men todraw off and leave a space sufficient for the exercises. This leftthe Sarci standing in scattered groups over the open space, at oneend of which Boadicea and all the chiefs were gathered.

  "They are now in the position, queen," Beric said, "of men unsuspectingdanger. I shall now warn them that they are about to be attacked,and that they are to gather instantly to repel the enemy."

  Taking the conch slung over his shoulder Beric applied it to hislips and blew three short notes. The tribesmen ran together; therewas, as it seemed to the lookers on, a scene of wild confusion fora minute, and then they were drawn up in companies, each a hundredstrong, in regular order. A short blast and a long one, and theymoved up together into a mass five deep; a single note, and thespears fell, and an array of glistening points shone in front ofthem.

  A shout of surprise and approval rose from the tribesmen looking on.To them this perfect order and regularity seemed well nigh miraculous.

  Beric now advanced to the line. At his order the two rear ranksstepped backwards a few feet, struck their spears in the ground,and then discharged their javelins--of which each man carriedsix--over the heads of the ranks in front, against the enemy supposedto be advancing to attack them. Then seizing their spears theyfell into line again, and at another order the whole advanced at aquick pace with levelled spears to the charge, and keeping on tillwithin a few paces of where the queen was standing, halted suddenlyand raised their spears. Again a roar of applause came from thetribesmen.

  "It is wonderful," the queen said. "I had not thought that men couldbe taught so to move together; and that is how the Romans fight,Beric?"

  "It is, queen," Beric said. "The exercises are exactly similar tothose of the Romans. I learnt them by heart when I was among them,and the orders are exactly the same as those given in thelegions--only, of course, they are performed by trained soldiers moreperfectly than we can as yet do them. It is but two months sincewe began, and the Romans have practised them for years. Had I timeyou would have seen them much more perfect than at present."

  "You have performed marvels," she said. "I wish that you had hadmore time, and that all the Iceni, and not the Sarci only couldhave thus learned to meet the enemy. Do you not think so, chiefs?"

  "It is wonderful," one of the chiefs said; "but I think that it isnot so terrifying to a foe as the rush of our own men. It is betterfor resistance, but not so good for attack. Still it has greatmerits; but I think it more suited for men who fight deliberately,like the Romans, than for our own tribesmen, who are wont to relyfor victory each upon his own strength and valour."

  "What say you, Beric?" the queen asked.

  "It would be presumptuous for me to give my opinion against thatof a great chief," Beric said quietly; "But, so far, strength andvalour have not in themselves succeeded. The men of Caractacushad both, but they were unavailing against the solid Roman line.We have never yet won a great victory over the Romans, and yet wehave fought against them valiantly. None can say that a Briton isnot as brave and as strong as a Roman. In our battles we have alwaysoutnumbered them. If we have been beaten, therefore, it has beensurely because the Roman method of fighting is superior to ourown."

  There was a murmur of assent from several of the chiefs.

  "Beric's argument is a strong one," the queen said to the one whohad spoken; "and I would that all the Iceni had learnt to fight inthis fashion. However, we shall have opportunities of seeing whichis right before we have finished with the Romans. March your menback again, Beric."

  Beric sounded his horn, and the line, facing half round, becamea column, and marched in regular order back to the village. Themorning meal was now taken, and at midday the march began. Boadiceawith her daughters, Parta and other women of rank, went first intheir chariots; and the Sarci, who, as lying next to the enemy'scountry, were allowed the post of honour, followed in columnbehind her, while the rest of the tribesmen made their way in amiscellaneous crowd through the forest. They halted among the treesat a distance of four miles from Camalodunum, and then rested, forthe attack was not to take place until daybreak on the next morning.

  Late that evening two or three women of the Trinobantes came out,in accordance with a preconcerted arrangement, to tell them thatthere was no suspicion at Camalodunum of the impending danger; andthat, although there was great uneasiness among the inhabitants, nomeasures for defence had been taken, and that even the precautionof sending away the women and children had not been adopted.

  No fires had been lighted; the men slept in the open air, simplywrapping themselves in their mantles and lying down under the trees.Beric had a long talk with Boduoc and ten of the tribesmen of thelatter's company.

  "You understand," Beric said at last, "that if, as I expect, thesurprise will be complete and no regular resistance be offered,I shall sound my horn and give the signal for the tribe to breakranks and scatter. You ten men will, however, keep together, andat once follow Boduoc and myself. As soon as we enter the house towhich I shall lead you, you will surround the two persons I shallplace in your charge, and will conduct them to the spot where thechariot will be waiting. You will defend them, if necessary, withyour lives, should any disobey my order to let you pass throughwith them. As soon as they are placed in the chariot you will befree to join in the sack, and if you should be losers by the delay,I will myself make up your share to that of your comrades. You aresure, Boduoc, that all the other arrangements are perfect?"

  "Everything is arranged," Boduoc said. "My brother, who drives thechariot that brought your mother's attendants, quite understandsthat he is to follow as soon as we move off, and keeping a shortway behind us is to stop in front of the last house outside thegate until we come. As soon as he has taken them up he will driveoff and give them into the charge of our mother, who has promisedyou to have everything in readiness for them; the skins for beds,drinking vessels, food, and everything else necessary was takenthere two days ago. My sisters will see to the comfort of the younglady, and you can rely upon my mother to carry out all the ordersyou have given her. Our hut lies so deeply in the forest that thereis little chance of anyone going near it, especially as the wholeof the men of the tribe are away."

  Two hours before daylight the Iceni moved forward. They were toattack at a number of different points, and each chief had had hisposition allotted to him. The Sarci were to move directly againstthe northern gate and would form the centre of the attack. Eachman, by Beric's order, carried a faggot so that these could be piledagainst the wall by the gate and enable them to effect an entrancewithout the delay that would be incurred in breaking down themassive gates. They passed quietly through the cultivated fields,and past the houses scattered about outside the walls, whoseinhabitants had withdrawn into the city since the alarm spread.They halted at a short distance from the gate, for sentries wouldbe on guard there, and remained for nearly an hour, as many of theother tribesmen had a considerably longer distance to go to reachtheir appointed stations. A faint light was beginning to stealover the sky when, far away on their right, a horn sounded. It wasrepeated again and again, each time nearer, and ran along far tothe left; then, raising their war cry, the Sarci dashed forward tothe gate.

  The shouts of the sentinels on the walls had arisen as soon asthe first horn sounded, and had scarcely died away when the Sarcireached the gate. Each man as he arrived threw down his faggot, andthe pile soon reached the top of the wall. Then Beric led the wayup and stood on the Roman work. The sentries, seeing the hopelessnessof resistance, had already fled, and the Sarci poured in. A confusedclamour of s
houts and cries rose from the town, above which soundedthe yells of the exulting Iceni. Beric gave the signal for the Sarcito scatter, and the tribesmen at once began to attack the houses.Placing himself at the head of Boduoc's chosen party, Beric ranforward. Already from some of the houses armed men were pouringout, but disregarding these Beric pressed on until he reached thehouse of Caius Muro. His reason for haste was that, standing ratheron the other side of the town, it was nearer the point assailedby one of the other divisions of the tribe than to the north gate,and he feared that others might arrive there before him. Reachingthe door he beat upon it with the handle of his sword.

  "Open, Cneius," he shouted, "it is I, Beric."

  The door was opened at once, and he ran forward into the atrium,which was filled with frightened slaves, who burst into cries ofterror as, followed by his men, he entered. "Where are you, Cneius?"Beric shouted.

  "I am here," the scribe replied from his cubicule, "I will be withyou in a moment; it is but a minute since we were awoke by theuproar."

  "Be quick!" Beric said, "there is not a moment to be lost.

  "Run up to the women's apartments," he said to a slave, "and tellyour mistress to hurry down, for that every minute is precious."

  Almost immediately Berenice came down the stairs in her disguise asa British boy, and at the same moment Cneius issued from his room.

  "Come, Berenice," Beric said, "there is not a moment to be lost;the town is in our hands, and if others of the tribe arrive I mightnot be able to save you."

  Hurrying them from the house he ordered the men to close round them,and then started on his way back. A terrible din was going on allround; yells, shouts, and screams arising from every house. Flameswere bursting up at a dozen points. To his great satisfaction Bericreached the point where the Sarci were at work, breaking into thehouses, before he encountered any of the other Iceni. The men weretoo busy to pay any attention to the little group of their owntribesmen; passing through these they were soon at the gate. Italready stood open, the bolts having been drawn by those who firstentered. Fifty yards from the wall stood the chariot.

  "Now you can leave us," Beric said to his followers, "I will rejoinyou soon."

  Berenice was crying bitterly, horror stricken at the sounds she hadheard, though happily she had seen nothing, being closely shut inby the tall forms of her guard.

  "Thanks be to the gods that I have saved you, Berenice," Beric said,"and you also, Cneius! Now I must commit you to the care of thedriver of the chariot, who is one of my tribesmen. He will take youto a retreat where you will, I trust, be in perfect safety untilthe troubles are over. His mother has promised to do all in herpower for your comfort. You will find one of our huts but a roughabode, but it will at least be a shelter."

  "Cannot you come with us, Beric?" the girl sobbed.

  "That I cannot do, Berenice. I am a Briton and a chief, and I mustbe with my tribe. And now I must away. Farewell, Berenice! may yourgods and mine watch over you! Farewell, my kind teacher!"

  He took off the torque, the collar formed of a number of small metalcords interlaced with each other, the emblem of rank and command,and handed it to the driver. "You will show this, Runoc, to anyyou meet, for it may be that you will find parties of late comerson the road. This will be a proof that you are journeying on mybusiness and under my orders. Do not stop and let them questionyou, but drive quickly along, and if they should shout and bidyou stop, hold up the torque and shout, 'I travel at speed by mychief's orders.'

  "Do you both sit down in the chariot," he said to the others. "Thenas you journey rapidly along it will be supposed that you are eitherwounded or messengers of importance. Farewell!"

  Cneius and the girl had already mounted the chariot, and the drivernow gave the horses rein and started at full speed. Beric turned andre-entered the town slowly. In those days pity for the vanquishedwas a sentiment but little comprehended, and he had certainly notlearned it among the Romans, who frequently massacred their prisonerswholesale. Woe to the vanquished! was almost a maxim with them. ButBeric shrank from witnessing the scene, now that the tables wereturned upon the oppressors. Nationally he hated the Romans, butindividually he had no feeling against them, and had he had thepower he would at once have arrested the effusion of blood. Hewished to drive them from the kingdom, not to massacre them; buthe knew well that he had no power whatever in such a matter. Evenhis own tribesmen would not have stayed their hand at his command.To slay a Roman was to them a far more meritorious action than toslay a wolf, and any one who urged mercy would have been regardednot only as a weakling but as a traitor.

  Already the work was well nigh done. Pouring in on all sidesinto the city the Iceni had burst into the houses and slain theiroccupants whether they resisted or not. A few men here and theresold their lives dearly, but the great majority had been too panicstricken with the sudden danger to attempt the slightest resistance.Some of the inhabitants whose houses were near the temple had fledthither for refuge before the assailants reached them, but in halfan hour from the striking of the first blow these and the troopsthere were the sole survivors of the population of Camalodunum.For the present the temple was disregarded. It was known that thegarrison did not exceed four hundred men, and there was no fear ofso small a body assuming the offensive.

  The work of destruction had commenced. There was but little plundering,for the Britons despised the Roman luxuries, of the greater partof which they did not even comprehend the use. They were Roman,and therefore to be hated as well as despised. Save, therefore,weapons, which were highly prized, and gold ornaments, which weretaken as trinkets for the women at home, nothing was saved. As thedefenders of each house were slain, fire was applied to hangingsand curtains, and then the assailants hurried away in search offresh victims. Thus the work of destruction proceeded concurrentlywith that of massacre, and as the sun rose vast columns of smokemounting upwards conveyed the news to the women of the Iceni andTrinobantes for a circle of many miles round, that the attack hadbeen successful, and that Camalodunum, the seat of their oppressors,was in flames. Beric, as he made his way towards the centre of thetown, sighed as he passed the shop where two months before he hadstopped a moment to look at the rolls of vellum.

  The destruction of the monuments of Roman luxury; the houses withtheir costly contents; and even the Palace of Cunobeline, whichhad been converted into the residence of the Roman governor, hadnot affected him; but he mourned over the loss of the preciousmanuscripts which had contained such a wealth of stored up learning.Already the house was wrapped in flames, which were rushing fromthe windows, and the prize which he had looked upon as his ownspecial share of the plunder had escaped him.

  At the edge of the broad open space that surrounded the Temple ofClaudius the Britons were gathering thickly. Beric applied his hornto his lips, and in a few minutes the Sarci gathered round him.Bidding them stand in order he moved away to see what dispositionwas being made for the attack on the temple, but at present allwere too excited with their success for any to assume the lead orgive orders. At the first rush parties of the Britons had made forthe temple, but had been received with showers of darts and stones,and had been met on the steps by the Roman soldiers and roughlyrepulsed. Walking round he came upon the chariot of Boadicea. Thequeen was flushed with excitement and gratified vengeance, and wasshaking her spear menacingly towards the temple; her eye presentlyfell upon Beric.

  "The work has begun well, my young chief, but we have still to crushthe wolves in their den. It is a strong place, with its massivewalls unpierced save by the doorway at each end; but we will havethem out if to do so we are forced to tear it down stone by stone."

  "I trust that we shall not be as long as that would take, queen,"Beric said, "for we have other work to do."

  Just at this moment one of the chiefs of the Trinobantes came up."Queen Boadicea," he said, "we crave that we may be allowed to stormthe temple. It is built on our ground as a sign of our subjection,and we would fain ourselves capture it."

 
"Be it so," the queen replied. "Do you undertake the task at once."

  The Trinobantes, who had joined the Iceni in the attack on thetown, presently gathered with loud shouts, and under their chiefsrushed at the temple. From the roof darts and stones were showereddown upon them; but though many were killed they swarmed up thebroad steps that surrounded it on all sides and attacked the doors.Beric shook his head, and returning to his men led them off downone of the broad streets to an open space a short distance away.

  "This will be our gathering place," he said. "Do not wander faraway, and return quickly at the sound of my horn. We may be wantedpresently. I do not think that the Trinobantes will take the templein that fashion."

  They had indeed advanced entirely unprovided with proper meansof assault. The massive gates against which the Romans had piledstones, casks of provisions, and other heavy articles were not tobe broken down by such force as the Britons could bring againstthem. In vain these chopped with their swords upon the woodwork.The gates were constructed of oak, and the weapons scarce markedthem. In vain they threw themselves twenty abreast against them.The doors hardly quivered at the shock, and in the meantime theassailants were suffering heavily, for from openings in the roof,extending from the building itself to the pillars that surroundedit, the Romans dropped missiles upon them.

  For some time the Trinobantes persevered, and then their chiefs,seeing that the attempt was hopeless, called off their followers.No fresh attempt was made for a time, and Boadicea establishedherself in one of the few houses that had escaped the flames, andthere presently the chiefs assembled. Various suggestions weremade, but at last it was decided to batter in the doors with aheavy tree, and a strong party of men were at once despatched tofell and prepare two of suitable size. The operation was a longone, as the trees when found had to be brought down by lightingfires against the trunks, and it was nightfall before they fell andthe branches were cut off. It was decided, therefore, to postponethe attack until the next day.

  Beric had not been present at the council, to which only a few ofthe leading chiefs had been summoned; but he doubted, when he heardwhat had been decided upon, whether the attack would be successful.It was settled that the Trinobantes were to attack the door at oneend of the temple, and the Iceni that at the other. Late in theevening the chariot returned, and Beric was greatly relieved to hearthat the fugitives had been placed in safety and that the journeyhad been made without interference. He was glad to recover his torque,for its absence would have excited surprise when men's minds wereless occupied and excited. Not until he recovered it could hego to see Parta, who was lodged with the queen, but as soon as herecovered it he went in. Every sign of Roman habitation and luxuryhad been, as far as possible, obliterated by order of Boadiceabefore she entered the house. Hangings had been pulled down, statuesoverthrown, and the paintings on the plaster chipped from the walls.

  "What have you been doing all day, Beric?" his mother asked. "Ilooked to see you long before this, and should have thought thatsome accident had befallen you had I not known that the news wouldhave been speedily brought me had it been so."

  "I have been looking after the tribesmen, mother. I should havecome in to see you, but did not wish to intrude among the chiefsin council with the queen. You represented the Sarci here, and hadwe been wanted you would have sent for me. Who are to attack thetemple tomorrow?"

  "Not the Sarci, my son. Unser begged that he and his tribe mighthave the honour, and the queen and council granted it to him."

  "I am glad of it, mother. The duty is an honourable one, but theloss will be heavy, and others can do the work as well as we could,and I want to keep our men for the shock of battle with the legions.Moreover, I doubt whether the doors will be battered down in theway they propose."

  "You do, Beric! and why is that?" The speaker was Aska, who hadjust left the group of chiefs gathered round the queen at the otherend of the apartment, and had come close without Beric hearing him.

  The lad coloured. "I spoke only for my mother's hearing, sir," hesaid. "To no one else should I have ventured to express an opinion ona course agreed upon by those who are older and wiser than myself."

  "That is right, Beric; the young should be silent in the presenceof their elders; nevertheless I should like to know why you thinkthe assault is likely to fail."

  "It was really not my own opinion I was giving, sir. I was thinkingof the manner in which the Romans, who are accustomed to besiegeplaces with high walls and strong gates, proceed. They have madethese matters a study, while to us an attack upon such a place isaltogether new, seeing that none such exist in Britain save thosethe Romans have erected."

  "How would they proceed, Beric?"

  "They would treat an attack upon such a place as a serious matter,not to be undertaken rashly and hastily, but only after greatpreparation. In order to batter down a gate or a wall they useheavy beams, such as those that have been prepared for tomorrow,but they affix to the head a shoe of iron or brass. They do notswing it upon men's arms, seeing that it would be most difficultto get so many men to exercise their strength together, and indeedcould not give it the momentum required."

  "But we propose to have the beam carried by fifty men, and for allto rush forward together and drive it against the door."

  "If the door were weak and would yield to the first blow that mightavail," Beric said; "but unless it does so the shock will throwdown the tree and the men bearing it. Many will be grievously hurt.Moreover, if, as will surely be the case, many of the bearers fallunder the darts of the Romans as they approach, others will stumbleover their bodies, and the speed of the whole be greatly checked."

  "Then can you tell me how the Romans act in such a case, Beric?"

  "Yes, sir. I have frequently heard relations of sieges from soldierswho have taken part in them. They build, in the first place, movabletowers or sheds running on wheels. These towers are made strongenough to resist the stones and missiles the besieged may hurlagainst them. Under cover of the shelter men push up the towers tothe door or wall to be battered; the beam is then slung on ropeshanging from the inside of the tower. Other ropes are attached;numbers of men take hold of these, and working together swing thebeam backwards and forwards, so that each time it strikes the wallor door a heavy blow. As the beam is of great weight, and many menwork it, the blows are well nigh irresistible, and the strongestwalls crumble and the most massive gates splinter under the shockof its iron head."

  "The Romans truly are skilled warriors," Aska said. "We are butchildren in the art of war beside them, and methinks it would bedifficult indeed for us to construct such a machine, though mayhapit could be done had we with us many men skilled in the making ofchariots. But sometimes, Beric, they must have occasion to attackplaces where such machines could not well be used."

  "In that case, sir, they sometimes make what they call a tortoise.The soldiers link their broad shields together, so as to forma complete covering, resembling the back of a tortoise, and undershelter of this they advance to the attack. When they reach thefoot of the wall all remain immovable save those in the front line,who labour with iron bars to loosen the stones at the foot of thewall, protected from missiles from above by the shields of theircomrades. From time to time they are relieved by fresh workersuntil the foundations of the wall are deeply undermined. As theyproceed they erect massive props to keep up the wall, and finallyfill up the hole with combustibles. After lighting these theyretire. When the props are consumed the wall of course falls, andthey then rush forward and climb the breach."

  "Truly, Beric, you have profited by your lessons," Aska said, layinghis hand kindly on the lad's shoulder. "The Druids spoke wiselywhen they prophesied a great future for you. Before we have done wemay have many Roman strongholds to capture, and when we do I willsee that the council order that your advice be taken as to how theyshall be attacked; but in this matter tomorrow things must remainas they are. Unser is a proud chief, and headstrong, and wouldnot brook any interference. Should he be repulsed in the a
ssault,I will advise the queen to call up the Sarci, and allow you toproceed in your own manner."

  "I will do my best, sir; but time is needed for proceeding accordingto the first Roman method, and our shields are too small for thesecond. The place should be taken by tomorrow night, for Cerealiswill assuredly move with his legion to relieve it as soon as hehears the news of our attack."

  "That is what has been in our minds," Aska said. "Well, what doyou say, Beric? After what I saw the other day of the movementsyou have taught your tribe I should be sorry to have their ranksthinned in a hopeless attack upon the temple. I would rather thatwe should leave it for the present and march out to meet Cerealis,leaving a guard here to keep the Romans hemmed in until we havetime to deal with them."

  Beric stood for a minute or two without answering, and then said,"I will undertake it, sir, with the Sarci should Unser's attackfail."