h was not broken, only jarred
open, made him enter it, and closed the door on him.

Thereupon the fugitives flocked back, acclaiming me as a sorcerer. The
superintendent of that caravan insisted on my giving him my name. I told
him I was Felix, the horse-wrangler of the Imperial estate. He gave me a
broad gold piece.

Unable to elicit anything from the natives or the teamsters I resorted to
the outlaws. I had been admonished before I saw any of them that it was
not according to the etiquette of the district for anyone to ride a horse
into the outlaws' camp. If anywhere near it one visited it on foot. If too
far one carefully avoided appearing to ride towards it or from it. When
the camp, for instance, happened to be south of my cottage I would ride
off north, east, or west, fetch a long compass about, tether my horse at
least half a mile from the camp, generally farther away, and stroll
towards it. On leaving I invariably departed by a path different from that
by which I had come. When I reached my horse I was careful similarly to
choose a return route which would bring me home some direction other than
that towards which I had gone off. Of course, I always observed these
precautions, since any neglect of them, if known, would have not only made
me unwelcome to the brigands, but also gotten me into disfavor with the
whole countryside.

When I reached the outlaws' camp I was careful to let them do most of the
talking and to wait for the talk to come round to the subject of the
beast-caravans. I had not long to wait, and, when I expressed my amazement
and curiosity, they showed no reluctance about informing me. Bulla himself
explained that Commodus had become so interested in beast-fighting, had
developed such transcendent skill at fighting beasts and had grown so
infatuated with the sport that he spent most of his time in the arena,
displaying his dexterity to invited audiences composed of senators,
nobles, notabilities and their wives and even children; in which
exhibitions he had killed so many creatures that he had not only depleted
but had almost exhausted the normal reserves constantly kept at Rome,
Ostia and the other Tiber ports. When the procurators in charge of the
supplies of beasts for the arena realized that the Emperor was killing his
victims faster than they normally were brought in, even lavishly as they
had always been provided, they sent out orders urging greatly increased
efforts at hunting, capturing