Part 32 (2/2)

Cras.h.!.+ Crack--a sword split and flew in splinters.

”Follow Bevis!” shouted Mark, ”Stick to Bevis! Fred! Bill! Quick!”

He had privately arranged with these two, Fred and Bill, who were the biggest on their side, that all three should keep close to Bevis and form a guard. Mark was very shrewd, and he guessed that Ted Pompey, being so much stronger and well-supported with stout soldiers, would make every effort to seize Caesar, who was slightly built, and bind him prisoner. He did not tell Bevis that he had arranged this, for Bevis was a stickler for his imperial authority, and if Mark had told him, would be quite likely to countermand it.

Whirling his sword with terrible fury, Caesar Bevis had cut his way through all between. Slight as he was, the intense energy within him carried him through the ranks. He struck a sword from one; overthrew another rus.h.i.+ng against him; sent a third on his knees, and reaching Phil, hit him on the arm so heavy a blow that, for a moment, he could not use his weapon, but gave way and got behind his men.

”Hurrah!” shouted Mark. ”Follow Bevis! Stick to Bevis!”

”Here I am,” said Bill, the young giant hitting at Varro.

”So am I,” said Fred, the other giant, and slas.h.i.+ng Varro on the side.

Varro turned aside to defend himself, when Mark Antony rushed at and overturned him thump on the sward.

”Hurrah! Down they go!” Such a tremendous shout arose in another direction, that Caesar Bevis, Mark, and the rest, turned fresh from their own victory to see their companions thrashed.

”Over with them!”

Ted Pompey, Val Cra.s.sus, and the other half of the divided line had attacked the remainder of the legion, which paused, and did not follow Caesar. Separated from Bevis, they fought well, and struggled hard to regain him; and, while they could keep their a.s.sailants at sword's-length, maintained the battle. But Varro's shout, ”Keep together! Keep together! Pompey! Keep together!” reminded Ted of what Phil Varro had taught him, and, signing to Cra.s.sus and his men to do the same, he crossed his arms, held his head low, and, with Cra.s.sus and the rest, charged, like bulls with eyes closed, disregarding the savage chops and blows he received. The manoeuvre was perfectly successful; their weight sent them right over Caesar's men, who rolled on the ground in all directions.

”There!” said Mark, ”what did I tell you?”

”Come on!” shouted Caesar Bevis, and he ran to a.s.sist the fallen. He fell on Cra.s.sus, who chanced to be nearest, with such violence that Val gave way, when Bevis left him to attack Ted. Ted Pompey, nothing loth, lifted his sword and stepped to meet him.

”Bill! Fred!” shouted Mark; and these three, hustling before Caesar Bevis, charged under Pompey's sword, for he could not hit three ways at once; and, thump, he measured his length on the gra.s.s.

”Cords!--Ropes!” shouted Mark. ”Bill--the rope. Hold him down, Fred!

O! You awful stupe! O!”

He stood stock-still, mouth agape; for Bevis, pus.h.i.+ng Fred aside as he was going to kneel on Ted as men kneel on a fallen horse's head, seized Ted by the arm and helped him up.

”Three to one's not fair,” he said. ”Ted, get your sword and fight _Me_.”

Ted looked round for his sword, which had rolled a yard or two. At the same moment Varro, having got on his feet again, rushed up and struck Caesar a sharp blow on his left arm. He turned, Varro struck again, but Fred guarded it off on his sword. Three soldiers, with Varro, surrounded Fred and Bevis, and, for the moment, they could do nothing but fence off the blows. Ted Pompey having found his sword, ran to aid Varro, when Mark hit him: he turned to strike at Mark, but a body of soldiers, with George and Tim at their head, rushed by, fighting with others, and bore Mark and Ted before them bodily. In a second all was confusion. On both sides the leaders were separated from their troops, the battle spread out, covering forty yards or more, and twenty individual combats raged at once. All the green declivity was covered with scattered parties, and no one knew which had the better.

”Keep together! Keep together!” shouted Varro, as he struck and rushed to and fro. ”I tell you, keep together! Ted! Ted! Pompey! Keep together!”

Swis.h.!.+ slas.h.!.+ clatter! thump!

”Hurrah!”

”He's down!”

”Quick!”

”You've got it!”

”Take that!” Slas.h.!.+ But the slain arose again and renewed the fight.

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