sailing-galley of the North Gaul
pattern at anchor, her landing-plank down and her sail half up; and
below us, alone in a hollow, holding his pony, sat Maximus, Emperor of
Britain! He was dressed like a hunter, and he leaned on his little
stick; but I knew that back as far as I could see it, and I told
Pertinax.

"'You're madder than Allo!" he said. "It must be the sun!"

'Maximus never stirred till we stood before him. Then he looked me up
and down, and said: "Hungry again? It seems to be my destiny to feed
you whenever we meet. I have food here. Allo shall cook it."

"'No," said Allo. "A Prince in his own land does not wait on wandering
Emperors. I feed my two children without asking your leave." He began
to blow up the ashes.

"'I was wrong," said Pertinax. "We are all mad. Speak up, O Madman
called Emperor!"

'Maximus smiled his terrible tight-lipped smile, but two years on the
Wall do not make a man afraid of mere looks. So I was not afraid.

"'I meant you, Parnesius, to live and die a Centurion of the Wall,"
said Maximus. "But it seems from these,"--he fumbled in his
breast--"you can think as well as draw." He pulled out a roll of
letters I had written to my people, full of drawings of Picts, and
bears, and men I had met on the Wall. Mother and my sister always
liked my pictures.

'He handed me one that I had called "Maximus's Soldiers". It showed a
row of fat wine-skins, and our old Doctor of the Hunno hospital
snuffing at them. Each time that Maximus had taken troops out of
Britain to help him to conquer Gaul, he used to send the garrisons more
wine--to keep them quiet, I suppose. On the Wall, we always called a
wine-skin a "Maximus". Oh, yes; and I had drawn them in Imperial
helmets.

"'Not long since," he went on, "men's names were sent up to Caesar for
smaller jokes than this."

"'True, Caesar," said Pertinax; "but you forget that was before I, your
friend's friend, became such a good spear-thrower."

'He did not actually point his hunting-spear at Maximus, but balanced
it on his palm--so!

"'I was speaking of time past," said Maximus, never fluttering an
eyelid. "Nowadays one is only too pleased to find boys who can think
for themselves, and their friends." He nodded at Pertinax. "Your
Father lent me the letters, Parnesius, so you run no risk from me."

"'None whatever," said Pertinax, and rubbed the spear-point on his
sleeve.

"'I have been forced to reduce the garriso