Volume Iii Part 24 (1/2)

Whistling came the spear straight at the spot where the King's bare neck showed above his breastplate.

When within a few inches of his throat, the King caught the shaft with his left hand and immediately hurled it back at the Prefect, wounding him on the left arm just above his s.h.i.+eld.

Cethegus fell on his knee.

At the same instant the galley struck the chain. It burst. The Roman boats which lay near, including that of Cethegus, were upset; and most of them drove masterless down the river.

”Victory!” shouted Totila. ”Yield, mercenaries!”

Cethegus, bleeding, swam to the left bank of the river. He saw how the Gothic galley lowered two boats, into one of which sprang the King.

He saw how a whole flotilla of large vessels, which had sailed up in the wake of the King's galley, now broke through the boats of his bowmen, and landed troops on both sides of the river.

He saw how his Abasgians--neither armed nor in the mood for a hand-to-hand fight--surrendered themselves by companies to the Goths.

He saw how a rain of arrows from the royal galley fell upon the defenders on the left bank.

He saw how the little boat, in which stood the King, now approached the place where he himself stood, dripping with water.

He had lost his helmet in the river, his s.h.i.+eld he had thrown away, in order the more speedily to gain the land.

He was on the point of attacking the King, who had just landed, with his sword alone, when a Gothic arrow grazed his neck.

”Well hit, Haduswinth?” cried a young voice; ”better than at the Mausoleum!”

”Bravo, Gunthamund!”

Cethegus tottered.

Syphax caught his arm.

At the same moment a hand was laid on his shoulder. He recognised Marcus Licinius.

”You here! Where are your men?”

”Dead!” said Marcus. ”The hundred Romans fell on the bulwark. Teja, the terrible Teja, stormed it. The half of your Isaurians fell on the way to the Capitol. The rest still keep the doors, and the half-bulwark in front of your house. I can no more. Teja's axe penetrated through my s.h.i.+eld and entered my ribs. Farewell, O great Cethegus! Save the Capitol. But--look there! Teja is quick!”

And he fell to the ground.

From the Capitoline Hill flames rose high into the night.

”There is nothing more to be done here,” the Prefect said with difficulty, for he was losing blood fast and becoming rapidly weak. ”I will save the Capitol! To you, Piso, I leave the barbarian King. Once before you have wounded a Gothic King upon the threshold of Rome. Now wound a second, but this time mortally! You, Lucius, will revenge your brother. Do not follow me!”

As he spoke he cast one more furious glance at the King, at whose feet kneeled his Abasgians, and sighed deeply.

”You tremble, master!” said Syphax sadly.

”_Rome_ trembles!” cried Cethegus. ”To the Capitol!”