s compact lines, ready for the
assault.

One moment more--the leaders were still hurrying to and fro, giving
orders--and a terrible slaughter would begin.

But suddenly all the sky above the city was flooded with a red light.

A column of flame shot up into the air, and countless sparks descended.
It seemed to rain fire from heaven. All Ravenna glowed in the crimson
light. It was a fearful but beautiful spectacle.

Both armies, ready to mingle in a hand-to-hand combat, halted and
hesitated.

"Fire! fire! Witichis, King Witichis!" shouted a horseman, who came
galloping from the city; "it burns!"

"We see it. Let it burn, Markja! First fight and then extinguish."

"No, no, sire; all the granaries burn! The grain flies in myriads of
sparks through the air."

"The granaries are burning!" cried Goths and Byzantines.

Witichis had no heart to ask questions.

"The lightning must have kindled the interior long ago. It is quite
burnt out. Look! look!"

A stronger gust of wind fanned the fire, which flamed up higher than
ever. The flames caught the nearest roofs, and, at the same time, the
wooden ridge of the lofty building seemed to fall, for, after a heavy
crash, the sparks shot up thicker than ever.

It was a sea of fire.

Witichis tried to lift his hand to give an order--but his arm fell,
faint and powerless. Cethegus saw it.

"Now!" he cried; "now let us assault!"

"No; halt!" thundered Belisarius. "He who lifts his sword is the
Emperor's enemy and dies! Back to the camp--all. Now Ravenna is mine!
To-morrow it will fall without a struggle."

His troops obeyed him and drew back.

Cethegus was in a fury. He alone was too weak to oppose the order. He
was obliged to yield.

His plans were ruined. He had wished to take the city by storm in
order--as he had done in Rome--to take possession of its principal
defences. And he foresaw that it would be now delivered completely into
the hand of Belisarius. He led his troops away in disgust.

But the events which actually occurred afterwards, were very different
to what either the Prefect or Belisarius had expected.

CHAPTER XXI.

The King had left the breach in the wall and the Tower of AEtius to the
care of Hildebad, and hurried at once to the place of the
conflagration.

When he arrived he found the fire dying out--but merely for want of
more combustibles.

The whole contents of the magazines, together with the wooden wa