ds before they
were stopped by Marcus and Serge hanging on to their bits and backing
them to the place from which they had started.

"Don't like being left behind," growled Serge.

"Steady, boy, steady!" said Marcus, caressingly, as he patted the
arching neck and smoothed down the wild, thick mane of the fiery little
steed he held. "Wait a bit and we won't check you. You shall go, and
as fast as you like, if we can only get clear ground."

The swarthy little driver grasped the boy's words, and nodded and showed
his teeth, while in a few minutes the spirited animals were quieted down
where they stood now with their heads turned from the slowly advancing
line.

"He ought to have been on the look-out," growled Serge. "Hullo! How
the chief must have been arranging all this!" And then he stood
silently with his young companion, watching the changes that were
beginning to take place in their little force.

The spot on which they stood was sufficiently elevated to give the pair
of spectators a pretty good view of the little beleaguered camp. All at
once the line of chariots was halted, while a fresh agitation commenced
where the cavalry had been posted. There was a quick change where
horses and men were massed together, and the light played and flashed
from helmet and shield, while the men's spears glittered like so many
points of light, as they sprang on to the backs of their horses and soon
after were in motion, forming into another line which moved to the front
of the chariots and were stopped in due time a little in advance.

"Why, he's making quite a show of it," growled Serge, "and the little
army looks as if it were slowly going into action just for us to see."

"Yes," said Marcus, eagerly, "but look out yonder too. The enemy are
advancing. They are gradually coming down that deep little valley,
trickling like a stream."

"To be sure they are," said Serge, "and they are doing the same over
yonder too."

"Well, doesn't that mean that they are going to attack at once?"

"No, boy; I fancy it only means to close us in and sweep us before them
right up into the narrow of the pass again. They are beginning to take
it."

"Take what?"

"Take what? Why, what our general means. I am not going to call him a
captain any more. He's acting like a general, and a good one too. The
enemy don't mean to attack--not yet, because you see they have got no
head man to make a big plan for them all to work together.