Volume Ii Part 47 (2/2)
”Calpurnius is not Cethegus,” retorted the Prefect, as he proudly pranced away. ”Meanwhile, greet Hades for me,” he added.
CHAPTER VI.
”Cursed omen!” growled Calpurnius.
And he hastened to join Belisarius.
”Command the retreat, quick, magister militum!”
”Why, excellent Calpurnius?”
”It is the King of the Goths himself!”
”And I am Belisarius himself,” answered the latter, as he donned his splendid helmet with its crest of white horse-hair. ”How dare you leave your post in the vanguard?”
”I wished to bring you the news, general.”
”Could no other messenger do that? Listen, Roman, you are unworthy of being liberated. You tremble, you coward heart! Return at once to the front. You will lead our hors.e.m.e.n to the first attack. You, Antallas and Kuturgur, take him between you. He _must_ be brave; do you hear? If he shrink--down with him. Thus Romans must be taught courage! The watchman has just announced the last hour of night. In another hour the sun will rise. Its first beams must find the whole army on yonder hills. Up! Ambuzach, Bessas, Constantinus, Demetrius, advance to meet the enemy!”
”General, it is as they say,” announced Maxentius, the most faithful of the lifeguards; ”innumerable Goths are advancing.”
”There are two armies against us,” reported Salomo, the leader of the hypaspistes of Belisarius.
”I reckon Belisarius alone to be a whole army.”
”And the plan of attack?” asked Bessas.
”That I will decide upon when in sight of the enemy, while Calpurnius arrests their progress with his hors.e.m.e.n. Forward! Give the signal.
Bring Phalion out!”
He left the tent. His generals, hypaspistes, pretorians, captains and lifeguards dispersed in all directions, in order to muster their men.
In a quarter of an hour the whole army was in motion towards the hills.
No time was lost in breaking up the camp, and the sudden movement caused endless confusion.
Foot and horse got mingled together in the dark and moonless night. And rumours of the superiority of the advancing barbarians had also spread discouragement among the soldiers.
Two rather narrow roads alone led to the hills, which circ.u.mstance caused much hindrance, and blocking of the way.
Far later than the hour appointed by Belisarius, the army arrived in sight of the hills; and when the first beams of the sun shone upon them, Calpurnius, the leader of the vanguard, saw Gothic weapons glittering upon all the heights. The barbarians had been beforehand with Belisarius.
Alarmed, Calpurnius halted, and sent word to the commander-in-chief.
Belisarius plainly saw that Calpurnius and his hors.e.m.e.n could not storm the hills. He therefore gave orders that Ambazuch and Bessas, with the best of the Armenian foot-soldiers, should advance upon the broader road. The right and left wings of the army were led by Constantinus and Demetrius; he himself led up his body-guard as a reserve for the centre.
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