ey suspended
the combat in order to take care of the wounded, and to bury the
bodies of the dead.
After the interval of a day, which was spent, on both sides, in
removing the horrid relics of the previous combats, and in gathering
fresh strength and fresh desperation and rage for the conflicts yet to
come, the struggle was renewed. The soldiers fought now, on this
renewal of the battle, with more dreadful and deadly ferocity than
ever. Various incidents occurred during the day to give one party or
the other a local or temporary advantage, but neither side wholly
prevailed. At one time Romulus himself was exposed to the most
imminent personal danger, and for a time it was thought that he was
actually killed. The Romans had gained some great advantage over a
party of the Sabines, and the latter were rushing in a headlong flight
to the citadel, the Romans pursuing them and hoping to follow them in,
in the confusion, and thus regain possession of the fortress. To
prevent this the Sabines within the citadel and on the rocks above
threw stones down upon the Romans. One of these stones struck Romulus
on the head, and he fell down stunned and senseless under the blow.
His men were extremely terrified at this disaster, and abandoning the
pursuit of their enemies they took up the body of Romulus and carried
it into the city. It was found, however, that he was not seriously
injured. He soon recovered from the effects of the blow and returned
into the battle.
Another incident which occurred in the course of these battles has
been commemorated in history, by having been the means of giving a
name to a small lake or pool which was afterward brought within the
limits of the city. A Sabine general named Curtius happened at one
time to encounter Romulus in a certain part of the field, and a long
and desperate combat ensued between the two champions. Other soldiers
gradually came up and mingled in the fray, until at length Curtius,
finding himself wounded and bleeding, and surrounded by enemies, fled
for his life. Romulus pursued him for a short distance, but Curtius
at length came suddenly upon a small swampy pool, which was formed of
water that had been left by the inundations of the river in some old
deserted channel, and which was now covered and almost concealed by
some sort of mossy and floating vegetation. Curtius running headlong,
and paying little heed to his steps fell into this hole, and sank in
the water. Romulus suppose
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