Volume Iii Part 59 (2/2)
Severely wounded, Aligern fell into old Hildebrand's arms, who, letting fall his heavy stone axe, tried to carry the fainting man into the ravine.
But Aligern's spear had also been well-aimed. The s.h.i.+eld-arm of Cethegus bled profusely. But he did not heed it; he pressed on to make an end of both the Goths, Hildebrand and Aligern, and at that moment Adalgoth caught sight of his father's hated enemy.
”Alaric! Alaric!” he shouted, and, springing forward, he caught up the heavy stone axe from the ground. ”Alaric!” he cried.
Cethegus caught the name and looked up. The axe, accurately aimed, came whizzing through the air upon his tall helmet. Stunned, Cethegus fell.
Syphax sprang to him, took him in both his arms, and carried him aside.
But the legionaries would not retreat; they could not. Behind them, sent by Na.r.s.es, two thousand Persians and Thracians pressed up the ascent.
”Bring hurling spears!” commanded their leader, Aniabedes. ”No hand-to-hand fight! Cast spears at the King until he fall. By order of Na.r.s.es!”
The soldiers willingly obeyed this order, which promised to spare their blood. Presently such a fearful hail of darts rattled against the narrow opening of the pa.s.s, that not a Goth was able to issue forth and stand before the King.
And now Teja, filling the entrance with his body and his s.h.i.+eld, defended his people for some time--for a very considerable time--quite alone. Procopius, following the report of eye-witnesses, has described with admiration this, the last fight of King Teja:
”I have now to describe a very remarkable fight, and the heroism of a man who is inferior to none of those we call heroes--of Teja. He stood, visible to all, covered by his s.h.i.+eld, and brandis.h.i.+ng his spear, in front of his own ranks. All the bravest Romans, whose number was great, attacked him alone; for with his death, they thought, the battle would be at an end. All hurled and thrust their lances at him alone; but he received the darts upon his s.h.i.+eld, and, repeatedly sallying forth, killed numbers of his adversaries, one after the other. And when his s.h.i.+eld was stuck so full of darts that it was too heavy for him to hold, he signed to his s.h.i.+eld-bearer to bring him a fresh one. Thus he stood; not turning, nor throwing his s.h.i.+eld on his back and retreating, but firm as a rock, dealing death to his foes with his right hand, warding it off with his left, and ever calling to his weapon-bearers for new s.h.i.+elds and new spears.”
It was Wachis and Adalgoth--heaps of s.h.i.+elds and spears had been brought to the spot from the royal treasure--who continually handed to Teja fresh weapons.
At last the courage of the Romans, Persians, and Thracians sank as they saw all their efforts wrecked against this living s.h.i.+eld of the Goths, and all their bravest men slain by the spears of the King. They wavered--the Italians called anxiously upon Cethegus--they turned and fled. Then Cethegus started up from his long stupor.
”Syphax, a fresh spear! Halt! Stand, Romans! Roma, Roma eterna!” And raising himself with an effort, he advanced against Teja.
The Romans recognised his voice. ”Roma, Roma eterna!” they shouted, as they ceased their flight and halted. But Teja had also recognised the voice. His s.h.i.+eld bristled with twelve lances--he could hold it no longer; but when he recognised the adversary who was advancing, he thought no more of changing it.
”No s.h.i.+eld! My battle-axe! Quick!” he cried.
And Wachis handed to him his favourite weapon.
Then King Teja dropped his s.h.i.+eld, and, swinging his axe, rushed out of the pa.s.s at Cethegus.
”Die, Roman!” he cried.
Once again the two great enemies looked each other in the face. Then spear and axe whizzed through the air. Neither thought of parrying the stroke, and both fell. Teja's axe had pierced Cethegus's left breast through s.h.i.+eld and armour.
”Roma, Roma eterna!” once more cried Cethegus, and fell back dead.
His spear had struck the King's right breast. Not dead, but mortally wounded, he was carried into the pa.s.s by Hildebrand and Adalgoth. And they had need to make haste. For when, at last, they saw the King of the Goths fall--he had fought without a pause for eight hours, and evening was coming on--all the Italians, Persians, and Thracians, and fresh columns of attack which had now come up, rushed towards the pa.s.s, which was now again defended by Adalgoth with his s.h.i.+eld; Hildebrand and Wachis supporting him.
Syphax took the body of Cethegus in his arms and carried it to one side. Weeping aloud he held the n.o.ble head of his master upon his knees, the features of which appeared almost superhuman in the majesty of death. Before him raged the battle. Just then the Moor remarked that Anicius, followed by a troop of Byzantines--Scaevola and Albinus among them--was approaching him, and pointing to the body of Cethegus with an air of command.
”Halt!” cried Syphax, springing up as they drew near; ”what do you want?”
”The head of the Prefect, to take to the Emperor,” answered Anicius; ”obey, slave!”
But Syphax uttered a yell--his spear rushed through the air, and Anicius fell. And before the others, who at once busied themselves with the dying man, could come near him, Syphax had taken his beloved burden upon his back, and began to climb up a steep precipice of lava near the pa.s.s, which Goths and Byzantines had, till then, held to be impa.s.sable.
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