s, to be followed directly by Serge;
for an order rang out, there was a peculiar sound as the horses started
at the first shaking of their reins and the guttural cries of their
drivers, and then, in a fairly well-kept line, some twenty of the
war-like cars, drawn by their snorting horses, advanced in line over the
moderately smooth plain in the direction already taken by the foot and
horse. But as they nearly came within touch, the mounted figure of the
captain was seen facing them in front, where he sat ready to give a
fresh order, when the line of chariots broke, as it were, in two, half
passing him to left, the other half to right, to take up position on the
flanks of the infantry, which was about a couple of hundred yards in
advance.

The next minute from out of the darkness ahead there came faintly the
sound of shouts, accompanied by the beating of hoofs, and a horseman
tore up to the captain, to make some communication which caused him to
set spurs to his horse and gallop forward, while Marcus, as his chariot
rolled on, rested his hand on the front and peered forward over his
horses' heads into the bank of gloom which now grew more and more alive
with sound.

There was the heavy tramp, tramp of armed men, followed by the sudden
rush and thunder of hoofs, while where he stood there was the rattle of
the chariot wheels and the cries of the drivers as they urged their
horses on.

"How are you, boy?" said Serge, hoarsely, with his lips close to his
young master's ear.

"Oh, I'm well enough," was the reply, "but I can't see. I want to know
what we are going to do."

"Don't you want to lie down and have a sleep?" said Serge, grimly.

"Sleep? No! I want to understand what's going on."

"What for?" growled Serge. "What's it got to do with you?"

"What has it got to do with me?" cried Marcus, without turning his head.

"Yes; what's it got to do with you? That's the captain's business. We
are advancing slowly, and by and by when the enemy has passed through
our cavalry, and delivered its attack upon our foot, and they are coming
on--I can hear them hurrah, boy! This isn't a false alarm. Hear that
shouting?"

"Hear it, yes!"

"That's the enemy, and they are very strong too."

"How do you know?"

"I can hear them, boy."

"Oh, then why don't we gallop forward and attack?" cried Marcus,
excitedly.

"Because it arn't our time. There! Hear that?"

"Yes; what does it mean?" cried Marcus, as a dull,