of his voice that Caesar the host had
vanished, and Caesar the imperator was present. His words were terse
and to the point.

"Curio, you will find a fast horse awaiting you. Take it. Bide at full
speed after the legion. Take command of the rear cohorts and of the
others as you come up with them. Lead rapidly to Ariminum."

And Curio, who was a man of few words, when few were needed, saluted
and disappeared in the darkness. Drusus followed the general out after
him. But no saddle-horses were prepared for Caesar. Antiochus and one
or two slaves were ready with lanterns, and led the general and Drusus
out of the gloomy cantonment, along a short stretch of road, to a mill
building, where in the dim light of the last flickers of day could be
seen a carriage with mules.

"I have hired this as you wished," said the freedman, briefly.

"It is well," responded his patron.

Antiochus clambered upon the front seat; a stout German serving-man
was at the reins. Caesar motioned to Drusus to sit beside him behind.
There were a few necessaries in the carriage, but no other attendants,
no luggage cart. The German shook the reins over the backs of the two
mules, and admonished them in his barbarous native dialect. The dim
shadow of the mill faded from sight; the lights of the praetorium grew
dimmer and dimmer: soon nothing was to be seen outside the narrow
circle of pale light shed on the ground ahead by the lantern.

The autumn season was well advanced. The day however had been warm.
The night was sultry. There were no stars above, no moon, no wind. A
sickening miasmic odour rose from the low flat country sloping off
toward the Adriatic--the smell of overripe fruit, of decaying
vegetation, of the harvest grown old. There had been a drought, and
now the dust rose thick and heavy, making the mules and travellers
cough, and the latter cover their faces. Out of the darkness came not
the least sound: save the creaking of the dead boughs on trees, whose
dim tracery could just be distinguished against the sombre background
of the sky.

No one spoke, unless the incoherent shouts of the German to the mules
be termed speech. Antiochus and Caesar were sunk in stupor or reverie.
Drusus settled back on the cushions, closed his eyes, and bade himself
believe that it was all a dream. Six months ago he had been a student
at Athens, wandering with his friends along the trickling Cephissus,
or climbing, in holiday sport, the marble cone of Hyme