sobeyed, and,
for all his disobedience, his soldier's instinct told him that the
dictator was right.

Hostilius eyed him sharply and suspiciously, as if trying to divine his
thoughts.

"If you regret--" he began.

Suddenly a decurion of the allies dashed up beside them.

"Look!" he cried, pointing toward the east. "There is carrion for the
wolves."

Both leaders turned at the words.

Far out across the plain was what seemed at first sight like a clump of
dark foliage, save that it moved and changed shape too much.

"Numidians!" exclaimed the decurion, following his finger with his
speech, while the veins in Hostilius' forehead began to swell and grow
dark.

"The signal! Let it be given," he cried to his officer, and, turning, he
dug his knees into his horse's sides and galloped toward the distant
quarry. A moment later the cavalry wheeled at the trumpet call, and, in
some disorder but full of eagerness, began the pursuit of their leader.

As for Sergius, he, too, gave order and rein, though more deliberately,
and his troop followed the cavalry of the allies in somewhat better
array. By his side galloped Decius with an expression hard to analyze
upon his weather-beaten face.

Sergius glanced at the old soldier from time to time with a look of
inquiry and concern. At last he ventured to question his grim mentor.

"Is it well or ill, Marcus?"

"Ill for you that command, well for me who obey," growled the other, and
Sergius flushed and was silent.

"Shall we catch them?" he asked, a few moments later, for the clump of
Numidians, who had sat motionless upon their horses until the Romans
covered half the intervening distance, had now wheeled for flight.

"If they be too strong for us, we shall catch them," replied Decius. "It
is as they will."

And now it became apparent that the marauders were far inferior in
numbers to the assailants, and that they recognized the fact; for flight
and pursuit began in earnest. Horses were urged to higher speed. At one
moment the Numidians seemed to be holding their distance; at another, the
Romans gained slightly but unmistakably. All order of detachments and
turmae was soon lost; Romans and allies, officers and men, were mingled
together in a straggling mass, with naught but the eagerness of the
riders and the speed of their animals to marshal them. Only Decius
continued to pound along, with his horse's nose at his tribune's elbow.
The thunder of many hundred h