ng on the earth,
the measured tread of several soldiers, and the clashing of their swords
on their iron armor. Presently they distinguished the invaders' red
crested helmets glittering in the moonlight.

"They are the soldiers of the guard, who keep vigil around the camp,"
said Albinik. "Let us go to them."

Soon the travelers reached the Roman soldiers, by whom they were
immediately surrounded. Albinik, who had learned in the Roman tongue
these only words: "We are Breton Gauls; we would speak with Caesar,"
addressed them to his captors; but these, learning from Albinik's own
admission that he and his companion were of the provinces that had risen
in arms, forthwith took them prisoners, and treated them as such. They
bound them, and conducted them to the camp.

Albinik and Meroe were first taken to one of the gates of the
entrenchment. Beside the gate, they saw, a cruel warning, five large
wooden crosses. On each one of these a Gallic seaman was crucified, his
clothes stained with blood. The light of the moon illuminated the
corpses.

"They have not deceived us," said Albinik in a low voice to his
companion. "The pilots have been crucified after having undergone
frightful tortures, rather than pilot the fleet of Caesar along the
coast of Brittany."

"To make them undergo torture, and death on the cross," flashed back
Meroe, "is that loyalty! Would you still hesitate? Will you still speak
of 'treachery'?"

Albinik answered not a word, but in the dark he pressed his companion's
hand. Brought before the officer who commanded the post, the mariner
repeated the only words which he knew in the Roman tongue:

"We are Breton Gauls; we would speak with Caesar." In these times of
war, the Romans would often seize or detain travelers, for the purpose
of learning from them what was passing in the revolted provinces. Caesar
had given orders for all prisoners and fugitives who could throw light
on the movements of the Gauls to be brought before him.

The husband and wife were accordingly not surprised to see themselves,
in fulfillment of their secret hope, conducted across the camp to
Caesar's tent, which was guarded by the flower of his Spanish veterans,
charged with watching over his person.

Arrived within the tent of Caesar, the scourge of Gaul, Albinik and
Meroe were freed of their bonds. Despite their souls' being stirred with
hatred for the invader of their country, they looked about them with a
somber curiosity.