egionaries. It was the
close-packed, avid-feeding sheep, deep in the grass, that won their
instant and enthusiastic notice. The decurion in charge of the squad
brought up his gray horse with such suddenness that the animal's feet
slid in the gravel.

"Sheep, by the wings of Mercury!" he shouted. "Dismount, fellows!
Here's for a feast this night and an offering to Mars to-morrow!"

The ten in brazen armor threw themselves from their horses with the
enthusiasm of boys and spread a panic of whooping and of waving arms
about the startled flock. The young shepherd, too long a fugitive from
the encroachments of this same army to misunderstand the nature of the
attack, ran into the thick of the shouting Romans. His valiant dog
with exposed teeth flew straight at the nearest legionary.

"Cerberus!" the soldier howled, dodging. "Your pike, Paulus! Quick! By
Hector, it is a wolf!"

But the quickest soldier would not have been quick enough to elude the
enraged beast had not the shepherd with a spring and a warning cry
seized his dog by the ears and stopped him mid-bound.

"Down, Urge!" he cried. "Take away your men!" he shouted to the
decurion. "I can not hold him long."

"Only so long," Paulus growled, raising his pike over the snarling
dog.

"Drop it!" the decurion ordered him peremptorily. "We are ten to one
and a dog. No blood-letting this day. It is Titus' order. Boy, get you
gone; these sheep are confiscate."

"I have been told they are only common stock," the boy remonstrated
gravely, "but you may be right. Howbeit, they are not mine and I can
not leave them."

"You have been misinformed," the decurion said gravely, while his men,
circling around the growling dog, went on with their work. "These are
Roman sheep, with the Flavian coat of arms and the mark of the army in
black on their hides--if you shear them. But if you make away as fast
as you can I shall not tell Titus which way you went."

The sheep had started pell-mell toward the Roman road. The decurion
turned back to his horse. The shepherd released his dog, which ran
after the flock, and stepped into the decurion's way.

"However these sheep look when they are sheared," he said, "this seems
to be robbery to me."

"Robbery!" the good-natured decurion exclaimed. "This is but a
religious rite that Mercury got out of the cradle at two days to
establish. Only he took Apollo's cattle while we are contenting
ourselves with the sheep of mortal ownership. Rob