"Forward to battle!
Follow the standard,
The fame-heralded
Consort of victory."

They struck their sword-blades on their shields till the sound echoed
far and wide.

"Victory!" cried Hilda, exultantly, as she witnessed the whole
magnificent spectacle.

CHAPTER XV

Belisarius also witnessed it from his station on the hill. "Fly," he
cried to Procopius; "fly to Fara and the Herulians! They must swing to
the left and take those red rags."

"And the Huns?" asked Procopius under his breath. "Look yonder; they
are riding slowly forward, but not westward, not against the Vandals."

"Obey! This German war dance around the red banner must first be put to
a bloody end, or their Teutonic battle fiend will take possession of
them, and then all is over. My face alone will keep the Huns in check,
should there be need of it."

Meanwhile the dragon banner had again changed bearers. All the lances
and arrows were aimed at the dangerous emblem, visible far and wide.
Gundobad's horse fell; its rider did not rise again. But his brother
Gundomar took the standard from the dying noble's hand and ran the
point of its shaft into the throat of Cyprianus, the second leader of
the Thracians, whose battle-axe had cleft Gundobad's helmet and head as
he tried to spring up from his dead charger.

Hilda had seen the red banner disappear for a moment, and anxiously
gave her stallion a light blow with her hand. The fiery animal shot
forward in frantic haste; not until she reached the edge of the stream
could the Princess draw rein. Her companions gained the new position
much later.

Althias now reached the second Gunding. Unequal, unfavorable to every
bearer of the standard was the conflict. His left hand, holding the
bridle and the heavy standard, could not use the shield, and this
burden also impeded very considerably the action of his right arm in
defence. After a short struggle Gundomar, transfixed by the Thracian's
spear, sank from his horse. But Gibamund was already on the spot, and
Zazo, dashing close behind him, no sooner saw the standard safe in his
brother's hand than he shouted, "Belisarius has a banner too."

Turning swiftly to the left, by the mere weight of his horse he burst
through a rank of the Thracians, reached Belisarius's bodyguard, who
bore the gold-embroidered standard, and, with a sword-stroke through
the front of the helmet into his brow, f