arcus.

"Oh, no, boy; they can't beat us. But they have got us in this narrow
gully where only a few men back and front can fight at once. Why, you
know for yourself here are all our mounted troops and us with the
chariots doing nothing but struggle through the snow, and never getting
a spear thrust at anyone. That's why I say I don't like it. I want to
be doing something, and when I say that it's just what everyone feels as
it makes his blood hot. I say, boy, you don't feel cold now?"

"Cold?" cried Marcus. "Oh, no; I only want to keep going on."

"Wait a bit, boy, and you shall have enough of that. Our captain isn't
letting us rest just to amuse ourselves. It will be forward directly,
and quite soon enough for the horses, for it's hard work for them; and I
say," continued the old soldier, jocosely, "this is a bit of a change
for you, my boy. You never thought there was a place like this so near
to Rome, where the people are lying grumbling now because it is so hot
that they cannot sleep, and panting just like old Lupe there."

For the dog was just between them, sitting up in the back of the car,
sometimes turning his head towards one, sometimes towards the other,
lolling out his vibrating tongue and sending out puffs of visible
vapour-like steam from Vesuvius.

"He's making believe that he's been working very hard," said Marcus,
laughing, "when he's been riding all the time. But all this does seem
very strange, Serge. I couldn't have believed this was possible at the
end of summer."

"Suppose not," growled the old soldier. "You see, you don't know
everything yet, my boy. There's a deal to learn, as I found out years
ago when I first went to the war with the master. But it's all doing
you good, and you will like it by-and-by when you look back and think of
it all, for there isn't much time to think just now. I say, have you
got your wind again?"

"Oh, yes, I am ready, and the horses are beginning to leave off panting.
I shall be glad when we make a fresh start. I want to get to the top."

"That's what we all want, boy--to get to the top of everything--but the
sooner we get to the end of this narrow crack and can expect that it
will begin to open out and give us room to swing our arms, the better we
shall all like it. The chief ought to be thinking of starting up
afresh, for there's a deal of fighting going on back and front."

The sounds that came floating to their ears, echoed from the snowy