resters of Bruttium. Not only your former
slaves on your uncle's estate there, but all their neighbors will do as
much to keep secret your presence among them, and shield you and to make
you comfortable and happy as the Umbrians hereabouts have been doing to
help and protect Bulla and his band and to shield them from the
constabulary and authorities. In Bruttium you can lurk in safety as long
as Commodus lives and it will even be safe for us two to exchange letters.
In Bruttium it can be arranged that no secret-service agent or Imperial
spy can ever get wind of your existence, let alone of your hiding-place.
You can be free, in a way, housed comfortably, with no duties, able to
pass your time as you please, and well cared for. Tanno and I will see
that you are supplied with cash for the journey and for your needs after
you reach your haven."

The cocks crowed vociferously at all the neighboring farmsteads and we
could hear them plainly across the considerable distances from us to each.
The moon hung low and the pale first light of day began to overcome the
moonlight.

Vedia petted me and I petted her and she repeated her vows of unalterable
fidelity to her pledge to marry no one else and to hope to marry me.

As dawn brightened the hyenas burst into a belated chorus and a lion
roared far away. After that the beasts made no sounds which came to our
ears.

Vedia insisted on my eating more of her delicacies and, I confess, I ate
liberally and with relish. A night with almost no sleep and much
excitement causes an unnatural hunger at dawn and the delicious rarities
tempted me.

She explained, over and over, that I was to behave precisely as if we had
not encountered each other and be sure not to mistake some secret-service
agent for her emissary. The watchword was to be, in memory of that used at
my escape from Rome, that whoever came from her or Tanno to me would ask:

"Can you direct me to the leopard-tamer who rode the horse with the blue
saddle-cloth?"

I was to reply:

"The blue saddle-cloth was bordered with silver."

He was then to respond:

"I have silver for the leopard-tamer."

I was then to say:

"I am the leopard-tamer and I have a pouch for your silver."

After we had rehearsed the passwords till both were sure neither could
forget or misplace a word, as the day was coming on, we kept a keen
lookout through the partly opened panels. Before sunrise I saw the mounted
constables approaching down t