with them," said Marius. He had seen
Saxons fight before.

With dawn, also, Eudemius sent forth a trusty slave westward to seek aid
from the civil authorities and from his own people at the mine, the
nearest point at which it might be obtained, and with the dawn was found
the body of Hito, stabbed in the back, lying near the little garden door
which led to the outer world.

Many of the guests chose to take their chances of attack, and left the
villa hurriedly while yet the day was young. Eudemius could not hold
them prisoners, and would not if he could. His own was enough to guard.
But Felix did not go, and Eudemius could not order him forth. He dared
not leave the villa, where he felt a measure of security; were he to do
so, he knew that it would be his fate to be captured and killed before
he could win to safety. So they shrugged their shoulders and left him.

That day the villa, unmolested and with half its inmates gone, seemed to
sink into a calm of exhaustion, which, after the night that had passed,
was like the calm of death. Marius and Eudemius themselves superintended
the cleaning up of the house, the strengthening of barricades, the
muster of the slaves for what further service might be needed.

"I trust the messengers whom I sent forth have not been waylaid,"
Eudemius said.

"Help could not come before to-morrow night," Marius answered. "It will
go hard with us if we cannot hold out that long. This time it may be
that we shall fare better; there will be no Hito to betray us."

"I shall have him buried at the crossroads with a stake through his evil
heart!" said Eudemius. "There be eleven dead awaiting burial. This we
shall do to-night. And Varia, my son, how fares she?"

"She is unhurt, but exhausted, and the old woman watches her," said
Marius. "Sleep thou also, and I shall see to setting a watch about the
house, and that those may take rest who can be spared."

Mycon entered, his arms before his face.

"Lords, there be a slave, Wardo the Saxon, who insists that he hath
grave matters for thine ears. He is in very evil plight--"

"Let him stand forth," said Eudemius.

Wardo came, tall, grim, very dirty. A bloody rag bound his head; he
limped, and one of his sandals was stained with blood. He crossed his
arms before his face, and waited.

"Speak!" Eudemius commanded.

And Wardo spoke, standing erect, his blue eyes on his lord's face.

"Lord, it was not Hito who betrayed the household, as I hear