Volume Ii Part 48 (2/2)

”Many thanks for the honour; but I do not intend to do worse than the others.”

”What?” cried Witichis, almost angry; ”must I be my own standard-bearer? Will none of my friends honour my trust?”

”Give me the flag of Theodoric,” said old Hildebrand, grasping the mighty shaft. ”It pleases me that the youths so thirst for fame. Give me the banner, I will defend it to-day as I did forty summers ago.”

And from that moment he rode at the King's right hand.

”The enemy's foot are advancing up the hill,” said Witichis, raising himself in the saddle.

”They are Huns and Armenians,” said Teja, looking forward with his eagle-eyes, ”I recognise their long s.h.i.+elds!” And spurring his horse, he cried: ”And Ambazuch, the perjured murderer of Petra, leads them.”

”Forward, Totila!” cried the King; ”and of _these_ troops--make no prisoners!”

Totila rapidly galloped off to his hors.e.m.e.n, who were placed at the top of the steep road which led down the hill. He carefully examined the armour of the Armenians, who were slowly advancing up the ascent in close columns. They carried very long and heavy s.h.i.+elds, and short spears for thrusting and throwing.

”They must not have time to hurl their spears,” cried Totila.

He then ordered his hors.e.m.e.n, at the moment of encountering the enemy, to change their lances from their right hand to their left, letting their bridles hang loosely from the wrist, and pa.s.sing their lances across the manes of their horses into the bridle hand. In this way they would hit the enemy on their unprotected side.

”As soon as the encounter has taken place--they will not be able to withstand it--throw your lances back into the arm-strap, draw your swords, and kill whoever still stands.”

He now placed his men in the shape of a wedge on the road and on each side of it, outflanking the enemy's column. He himself led the thin edge of the wedge. He determined to allow the enemy to ascend halfway up the hill.

Both parties looked forward to the shock in breathless expectation.

Ambazuch, an experienced warrior, quietly marched forward.

”Let them come on,” he said to his people, ”until you feel their horses' breath upon your faces. Then, and not before, hurl your lances.

Aim low, at the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the horses, and immediately after draw your swords. In this way I have always succeeded in overthrowing hors.e.m.e.n.”

But it turned out otherwise.

For when Totila gave the order to charge, it seemed as if a thundering avalanche were descending the hill upon the terrified enemy. The s.h.i.+ning, clattering, snorting, threatening ma.s.s rushed on like a hurricane, and before the first row of the Armenians had found time even to raise their spears, they lay upon the ground, pierced through by the long lances. They had been swept away as if they had never stood there.

All this had taken place in a moment of time; and when Ambazuch was about to order his second line, in which he himself stood, to kneel and shorten their spears, he found it already ridden over; the third rank dispersed; and the fourth, under Bessas, able to offer but a faint resistance to the terrible hors.e.m.e.n, who now began to draw their swords.

He tried to rally his men; he flew back and called to his wavering lines to stand and fight; but just then Totila's sword reached him; a mighty stroke crushed in his helmet.

He fell on his knees, and held the hilt of his sword towards the Goth.

”Take a ransom!” he cried. ”I am yours!”

Totila was about to stretch forth his hand to take the sword, when Teja cried:

”Remember Petra!”

A weapon flashed, and Ambazuch sank dead on the ground.

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