Volume Ii Part 33 (1/2)
”And we?”-asked one of the veterans-
”Disperse yourselves among the hills, and make your way singly to the camp. He will not think of you, with us before him!”-
”Farewell! The G.o.ds guide and guard thee!”-
”We shall much need, I fear, their guidance!” answered the legionary, setting off at a swift pace, still bearing Julia, who was now beginning to revive in the fresh air, following hard on Lucia, who ran, literally like the wind, to the spot where she had tied her own beautiful white Ister, and another horse, a powerful and well-bred Thracian charger, to the stems of two chesnut trees, in readiness for any fortunes.
Rapidly as the soldier ran, still the light-footed girl outstripped him, and when he reached the sandy road, she had already loosened the reins from the trees to which they had been attached, and held them in readiness.
”Mount, mount” cried Lucia, ”for your life! I will help you to lift her.”
”I am better now,” exclaimed Julia-”Oh ye G.o.ds! and safe too! I can help myself now! and in an instant she was seated behind the stout man-at-arms, and clinging with both hands to his sword belt.
”If you see me no more, as I think you will not, Julia, tell Paullus, Lucia saved you, and-died, for love of him! Now-ride! ride! ride! for your life ride!”
And giving their good horses head they sprang forth, plying the rein and scourge, at headlong speed.
As they ascended the first little hillock, they saw the troopers of Catiline pouring out of the watch-tower gate, and thundering down the slope toward the bridge, with furious shouts, at a rate scarcely inferior to their own.
They had but one hope of safety. To reach the little bridge and pa.s.s it before their pursuers should gain it, and cut off their retreat toward their friends, whom they knew to be nigh at hand; but to do so appeared well nigh impossible.
It was a little in their favor that the steeds of Catiline's troopers had been hara.s.sed by a long and unusually rapid night march, while their own were fresh and full of spirit; but this advantage was neutralized at least by the double weight which impeded the progress and bore down the energies of the n.o.ble Thracian courser, bearing Julia and the soldier.
Again it was in their favor that the road on their side the chasm was somewhat shorter and much more level than that by which Catiline and his riders were straining every nerve, gallopping on a parallel line with the tremulous and excited fugitives; but this advantage also was diminished by the fact that they must turn twice at right angles-once to gain the bridge, and once more into the high road beyond it-while the rebels had a straight course, though down a hill side so steep that it might well be called precipitous.
The day had by this time broken, and either party could see the other clearly, even to the dresses of the men and the colors of the horses, not above the sixth part of a mile being occupied by the valley of the stream dividing the two roads.
For life! fire flashed from the flinty road at every bound of the brave coursers, and blood flew from every whirl of the knotted thong; but gallantly the high-blooded beasts answered it. At every bound they gained a little on their pursuers, whose horses foamed and labored down the abrupt descent, one or two of them falling and rolling over their riders, so steep was the declivity.
For life! Catiline had gained the head of his party, and his black horse had outstripped them by several lengths.
If the course had been longer the safety of the fugitives would have been now certain; but so brief was the s.p.a.ce and so little did they gain in that awful race, that the nicest eye hardly could have calculated which first would reach the bridge.
So secure of his prize was Catiline, that his keen blade was already out, and as he bowed over his charger's neck, goring his flanks with his b.l.o.o.d.y spurs, he shouted in his hoa.r.s.e demoniacal accents, ”Victory and vengeance!”
Still, hopeful and dauntless, the stout legionary gallopped on-”Courage!”
he exclaimed, ”courage, lady, we shall first cross the bridge!”-
Had Lucia chosen it, with her light weight and splendid horsemans.h.i.+p, she might easily have left Julia and the soldier, easily have crossed the defile in advance of Catiline, easily have escaped his vengeance. But she reined in white Ister, and held him well in hand behind the others, muttering to herself in low determined accents, ”She shall be saved, but my time is come!”
Suddenly there was a hasty shout of alarm from the troopers on the other side, ”Hold, Catiline! Rein up! Rein up!” and several of the foremost riders drew in their horses. Within a minute all except Catiline had halted.
”They see our friends! they are close at hand! We are saved! by the Immortal G.o.ds! we are saved!” cried the legionary, with a cry of triumph.
But in reply, across the narrow gorge, came the hoa.r.s.e roar of Catiline, above the din of his thundering gallop.-”By Hades! Death! or vengeance!”
”Ride! ride!” shrieked Lucia from behind, ”Ride, I say, fool! you are _not_ saved! He will not halt for a beat when revenge spurs him! For your life! ride!”
It was a fearful crisis.
The Thracian charger reached the bridge. The hollow arch resounded but once under his clanging hoofs-the second stride cleared it. He wheeled down the road, and Julia, pale as death, whose eyes had been closed in the agony of that fearful expectation, unclosed them at the legionary's joyous shout, but closed them again in terror and despair with a faint shriek, as they met the grim countenance of Catiline, distorted with every h.e.l.lish pa.s.sion, and splashed with blood gouts from his reeking courser's side, thrust forward parallel nearly to the black courser's foamy jaws-both nearly within arm's length of her, as it appeared to her excited fancy.