multitude, which readily made way for his passage, and flew to the city
gates, where, seizing a horse, he rode with wild haste to the camp of
Tusculum.

Meanwhile Icilius and Numitorius held up the maiden's body, and bade the
people see the bloody result of the decemvir's unholy purpose. A tumult
instantly arose, the people rushing in such fury upon the tribunal that
the lictors and armed patricians were driven back, and Appius, stricken
with fear, covered his face with his robe and fled into a neighboring
house.

Never had Rome been so stirred to fury. The colleague of Appius rushed
with his followers to the Forum, but the people were too strong for all
the force he could gather. The senate met, but could do nothing in the
excited state of public feeling. An attempt to support the decemvirs now
might cause the commons once more to secede to the Sacred Hill.

While this was going on in the city, Virginius, followed by many
citizens, had reached the camp. Here the encrimsoned knife he held, the
blood on his face and body, and the many unarmed citizens who followed
him, brought the soldiers crowding round to learn what all this meant.

The tale was told in moving accents. On hearing it the whole army burst
into a storm of indignation. Heedless of the orders of their generals,
they rushed excitedly to arms, pulled up their standards, and put
themselves in hasty march for Rome. The only leader they recognized was
Virginius, who, knife in hand, led the way in the van.

Reaching the city, the soldiers called on the commons to assert their
liberties and elect new tribunes, the decemvirs having deprived them of
these officials. They then marched to the Aventine Hill, where they
selected ten military tribunes. The senate sent to them to know what
they wanted, but they replied that they had no answer to give except to
their own friends.

The other army had also heard of the outrage, and soon appeared at the
Aventine, led by Icilius and Numitorius, who had hastened with the
dreadful story to its camp. It, too, elected ten tribunes, and waited to
hear what the senate had to propose. They waited in vain. No word came
to them. The senate, distracted by the sudden occurrence, sought to
temporize, but the people were in too deadly earnest to be thus dealt
with. In the end the armies left the Aventine, marched through the city,
and made their way to the Sacred Hill, where the seceding commoners had
established themselves on a fa