out; therefore he waved his arm, as if
making some signal, and, turning again in his saddle, rode on, but
without increasing his speed.

Louder shouts followed him, for, as he had intended, his gesture had
proved unintelligible. Then, when they saw he did not stop, the cries
ceased suddenly and an animated chattering came to his ears. Here was
suspicion trying to make itself understood and, at last, succeeding,
for, as Sergius glanced back once more to note how the matter
progressed, the young captain of the gate sprang forward and shouted
for him to halt.

"A third altar--to Mercury the hastener!" exclaimed Sergius. "Quick
now! with the knees!" and, pressing the flanks of his Cappadocian, both
animals bounded forward into a headlong gallop.

XIII.

WINTER QUARTERS.

The beat of hoofs upon the great blocks of basalt rang through the
morning air in measured cadence, and soon an answering echo came up
from the south. Open flight had at last dispelled all doubt and given
the signal for pursuit.

First came the two Africans of the original escort, released and bidden
to ride for life or death; a short distance behind was the Carthaginian
captain on his own horse which had probably been haltered behind the
guard-house; and, last of all, three of the Spanish guard, who had
thrown the servants and baggage from the animals that bore them, and
appropriated such speed as these afforded for the business in hand.

That the officer was pretty well sobered seemed apparent. A fugitive
bearing the ring of the schalischim--the seal of the Great
Council--must be a man of importance, or else the possession of such a
talisman augured the commission of some terrible crime. Already he saw
himself stretched writhing upon the cross; the crowd, reviling or
gibing, seemed surging about his feet; and his howls of anguish found
voice in a storm of guttural objurgations to men and horses, mingled
with prayers and vows to the gods of Carthage.

He had overtaken the two Africans now, for his animal was better than
theirs, but the three others laboured hopelessly behind: the
Cappadocians flew rather than galloped far in advance. Already nearly
three hundred yards separated them from their pursuers, and the gap was
widening slowly but surely. Only the officer held his own, for he was
now forging ahead of the Africans.

"Ah, cowards! slime! filth!" he shouted to his struggling men. "The
cross! the cross! that for you unless w