, and one night a villa in the
suburbs caught fire, and I had my handful out and at work before any of
the other troops. I noticed a quiet-looking man on the lawn, leaning on
a stick. He watched us passing buckets from the pond, and at last he
said to me: "Who are you?"

'"A probationer, waiting for a command," I answered. _I_ didn't know who
he was from Deucalion!

'"Born in Britain?" he said.

'"Yes, if you were born in Spain," I said, for he neighed his words like
an Iberian mule.

'"And what might you call yourself when you are at home?" he said,
laughing.

'"That depends," I answered; "sometimes one thing and sometimes another.
But now I'm busy."

'He said no more till we had saved the family gods (they were
respectable householders), and then he grunted across the laurels:
"Listen, young sometimes-one-thing-and-sometimes-another. In future call
yourself Centurion of the Seventh Cohort of the Thirtieth, the Ulpia
Victrix. That will help me to remember you. Your Father and a few other
people call me Maximus."

'He tossed me the polished stick he was leaning on, and went away. You
might have knocked me down with it!'

'Who was he?' said Dan.

'Maximus himself, our great General! _The_ General of Britain who had
been Theodosius's right hand in the Pict War! Not only had he given me
my Centurion's stick direct, but three steps in a good Legion as well! A
new man generally begins in the Tenth Cohort of his Legion, and works
up.'

'And were you pleased?' said Una.

'Very. I thought Maximus had chosen me for my good looks and fine style
in marching, but, when I went home, the Pater told me he had served
under Maximus in the great Pict War, and had asked him to befriend me.'

'A child you were!' said Puck, from above.

'I was,' said Parnesius. 'Don't begrudge it me, Faun. Afterwards--the
Gods know I put aside the games!' And Puck nodded, brown chin on brown
hand, his big eyes still.

'The night before I left we sacrificed to our ancestors--the usual
little Home Sacrifice--but I never prayed so earnestly to all the Good
Shades, and then I went with my Father by boat to Regnum, and across the
chalk eastwards to Anderida yonder.'

'Regnum? Anderida?' The children turned their faces to Puck.

'Regnum's Chichester,' he said, pointing towards Cherry Clack, 'and'--he
threw his arm South behind him--'Anderida's Pevensey.'

'Pevensey again!' said Dan. 'Where Weland landed?'

'Weland and a few others,' said