d
brought. He then mounted the steps with him, the gate was closed and the
bolt shot, and they then made their way across to the stables. It was
still perfectly dark, though a very faint light, low in the eastern sky,
showed that ere long the day would break.

Five minutes' walking and they arrived at the stables of the elephants.
These, like those of the horses and the oxen which drew the cumbrous war
machines, were formed in the vast thickness of the walls, and were what
are known in modern times as casemates. As Nessus had said, the Indian
mahout and the other two Arabs were the only human occupants of the
casemate. The elephant at once showed that he perceived the newcomer to
be a stranger by an uneasy movement, but the mahout quieted him.

While they were waiting for morning, Nessus described, more fully than
he had hitherto had an opportunity of doing, the attack made upon him on
board the ship.

"I was," he said, "as my lord knows, uneasy when I found that they
had recognized you, and when we were within a day's sail of Carthage I
resolved to keep a lookout--therefore, although I wrapped myself in my
cloak and lay down, I did not go to sleep. After a while I thought
I heard the sound of oars, and, standing up, went to the bulwark to
listen. Suddenly some of the sailors, who must have been watching me,
sprang upon me from behind, a cloak was thrown over my head, a rope was
twisted round my arms, and in a moment I was lifted and flung overboard.

"I did not cry out, because I had already made up my mind that it was
better not to arouse you from sleep whatever happened, as, had you run
out, you might have been killed, and I thought it likely that their
object would be, if you offered no resistance, to take you a prisoner,
in which case I trusted that I might later on hope to free you. As my
lord knows, I am a good swimmer. I let myself sink, and when well below
the surface soon got rid of the rope which bound me, and which was,
indeed, but hastily twisted round my arms. I came up to the surface as
noiselessly as possible, and after taking a long breath dived and swam
under water as far as I could. When I came up the ship was so far away
that there was little fear of their seeing me; however, I dived again
and again until in perfect safety.

"I heard a boat rowed by many oars approach the vessel. I listened for a
time and found that all was quiet, and then laid myself out for the long
swim to shore, which I reac