clusively by Roman colonists, they
guarded carefully against treachery from that quarter. Horsemen,
lightly armed Celtic archers, the Keltae and Petulantes, and Germans
familiar with woodland warfare--the Batavians--formed the van and
rearguards. In the centre were the heavily armed foot-soldiers of the
Imperial Guard, protecting the traders and sutlers, luggage, camp
equipage, and provisions. They moved along the ruinous old road, as
near the shore as the marshy ground permitted, in order to keep in view
of the lake, that they might discover any attempt at an attack by the
Barbarians in their boats, and also not lose sight of the opposite
shore occupied by the Romans.

The most difficult task was assigned to the left wing which, at the
north of the central division and the old road, was to force a passage
through forest and morass in a line parallel with that of the main
body, and protect it from any flank assault of the foe; for should the
latter suddenly burst from an ambush in the impenetrable woods and fall
upon the column extended in marching order, the whole body, thus taken
by surprise, might be scattered and driven into the marshes and the
lake.

But the resistance offered by forest and fen to the progress of the
troop seemed destined to remain the sole opposition which the Romans
were to encounter; for the latter had not met a single human being
since they quitted the southern shore of the lake and the stations
along the road there. There were no villages of the Alemanni in this
region: the ground was occupied by farms, and the houses (called
"Schwaigen") were miles apart. The few lonely dwellings which they
passed during a march of several days had been abandoned. A mysterious
silence, boding destruction, seemed to brood over the empty wooden
buildings.

Everywhere, just before the time of ripening, the grain--oats, barley,
and spelt--had been cut and partly burnt; the latter mode was the
quicker, and the grain of the Alemanni should not serve their foe even
as fodder for his horses. The cattle had been driven away; the kennels
of the faithful farm watch, almost always found at the gates, were also
empty; the hay and straw were removed from the barns, which were
usually connected with the houses and very often formed part of them.

Slowly, with frequent halts, advancing with difficulty, the Romans
assigned to the care of the provisions in charge of the troops or the
sutlers and their wives struggled forw