d that there
was no limit to his power, nor any appeal from him.

The next day before dawn the Dictator came into the market-place, and
appointed one Lucius Tarquinius to be Master of the Horse. This Tarquinius
was held by common consent to excel all other men in exercises of war;
only, though, being a noble by birth, he should have been among the
horsemen, he had served, for lack of means, as a foot soldier. This done
he called an assembly of the people and commanded that all the shops in
the city should be shut; that no man should concern himself with any
private business, but all that were of an age to go to the war should be
present before sunset in the Field of Mars, each man having with him
provisions of cooked food for five days, and twelve stakes. As for them
that were past the age, they should prepare the food while the young men
made ready their arms and sought for the stakes. These last they took as
they found them, no man hindering them; and when the time appointed by the
Dictator was come, all were assembled, ready, as occasion might serve,
either to march or to give battle. Forthwith they set out, the Dictator
leading the foot soldiers by their legions, and Tarquinius the horsemen,
and each bidding them that followed make all haste. "We must needs come,"
they said, "to our journey's end while it is yet night. Remember that the
Consul and his army have been besieged now for three days, and that no man
knows what a day or a night may bring forth." The soldiers themselves also
were zealous to obey, crying out to the standard-bearers that they should
quicken their steps, and to their fellows that they should not lag behind.
Thus they came at midnight to Mount AEgidus, and when they perceived that
the enemy was at hand they halted the standards. Then the Dictator rode
forward to see, so far as the darkness would suffer him, how great was the
camp of the AEquians and after what fashion it was pitched. This done he
commanded that the baggage should be gathered together into a heap, and
that the soldiers should stand every man in his own place. After this he
compassed about the whole army of the enemy with his own army, and
commanded that at a set signal every man should shout, and when they had
shouted should dig a trench and set up therein the stakes. This the
soldiers did, and the noise of the shouting passed over the camp of the
enemy and came into the city, causing therein great joy, even as it caused
great fe