ir of peoples from every corner of the Empire. Some were
racing horses: some sat in wine-shops: some watched dogs baiting
bears, and many gathered in a ditch to see cocks fight. A boy not much
older than myself, but I could see he was an officer, reined up before
me and asked what I wanted.

"'My station," I said, and showed him my shield.' Parnesius held up his
broad shield with its three X's like letters on a beer-cask.

"'Lucky omen!" said he. "Your Cohort's the next tower to us, but
they're all at the cock-fight. This is a happy place. Come and wet
the Eagles." He meant to offer me a drink.

"'When I've handed over my men," I said. I felt angry and ashamed.

"'Oh, you'll soon outgrow that sort of nonsense," he answered. "But
don't let me interfere with your hopes. Go on to the Statue of Roma
Dea. You can't miss it. The main road into Valentia!" and he laughed
and rode off. I could see the statue not a quarter of a mile away, and
there I went. At some time or other the Great North Road ran under it
into Valentia; but the far end had been blocked up because of the
Picts, and on the plaster a man had scratched, "Finish!" It was like
marching into a cave. We grounded spears together, my little thirty,
and it echoed in the barrel of the arch, but none came. There was a
door at one side painted with our number. We prowled in, and I found a
cook asleep, and ordered him to give us food. Then I climbed to the
top of the Wall, and looked out over the Pict country, and I--thought,'
said Parnesius. 'The bricked-up arch with "Finish!" on the plaster was
what shook me, for I was not much more than a boy.'

'What a shame!'said Una. 'But did you feel happy after you'd had a
good--'Dan stopped her with a nudge.

'Happy?' said Parnesius. 'When the men of the Cohort I was to command
came back unhelmeted from the cock-fight, their birds under their arms,
and asked me who I was? No, I was not happy; but I made my new Cohort
unhappy too... I wrote my Mother I was happy, but, oh, my friends'--he
stretched arms over bare knees--'I would not wish my worst enemy to
suffer as I suffered through my first months on the Wall. Remember
this: among the officers was scarcely one, except myself (and I thought
I had lost the favour of Maximus, my General), scarcely one who had not
done something of wrong or folly. Either he had killed a man, or taken
money, or insulted the magistrates, or blasphemed the Gods, and so had
b