by the bridge, which was held by the Gauls, he wrapped what
few clothes he had round his head, and trusted to his corks to float him
over to the city. After he had landed, he walked round, observing by the
lights and the noise where the Gauls were most wakeful, until he reached
the Carmentan Gate, where all was quiet. At this place the Capitolian
Hill forms a steep and precipitous crag, up which he climbed by a hollow
in the cliff, and joined the garrison. After greeting them and making
known his name, he proceeded to an interview with the leading men. A
meeting of the Senate was called, at which he recounted Camillus's
victory, which they had not heard of, and explained the determination of
the soldiers. He then begged them to confirm Camillus's appointment as
general, because the citizens without the walls would obey no other.

When the Senate heard this, they deliberated, and finally appointed
Camillus dictator, and sent back Pontius by the same way that he came,
which he was able to accomplish as fortunately as before. He eluded the
Gauls, and brought the decree of the senate to the Romans outside the
walls.

XXVI. They heard the news with enthusiasm, so that Camillus when he
came, found that they already numbered twenty thousand, while he drew
many additional troops from the neighbouring friendly cities. Thus was
Camillus a second time appointed dictator, and, proceeding to Veii,
joined the soldiers there, to whom he added many others from the allies,
and prepared to attack the enemy. But meanwhile at Rome, some of the
Gauls happening to pass by the place where Pontius climbed up the
Capitol, noticed in many places the marks of where he had clutched at
the rock with his hands and feet, torn off the plants which grew upon
it, and thrown down the mould. They brought the news to the king, who
came and viewed the place. He said nothing at the time, but in the
evening he called together those Gauls who were lightest and most
accustomed to climb mountains, and thus addressed them: "The road up the
rock, which we by ourselves could not discover, has been proved by our
enemies not to be impassable to men, and it would be disgraceful for us
after having begun so well to leave our enterprise incomplete, and to
give up the place as impregnable after the enemy themselves have shown
us how it may be taken. Where it is easy for one man to climb, it cannot
be hard for many to climb one by one, as their numbers will give them
con