Marcus: the Young Centurion

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

  THE CHIEF.

  Marcus woke up that same evening to find himself lying back in thechariot with Lupe sitting watching him intently.

  "Hallo, Lupe," said the boy, thickly; "what's the matter?"

  The dog's answer was given with his tail--just one sharp rap on thefloor of the vehicle, nothing more. So Marcus looked round him, feelingconfused, and wondering what it all meant, for after so much exertionand excitement his brain had taken a thorough rest from which the boy'sbody was now awakened, but not his thinking powers.

  "I don't quite understand it," he said to himself, as he caught sight ofclusters of armed men, whose spears glittered in the evening sunshine,gathered together upon the mountain slopes around, and he soon satisfiedhimself that they were not Romans or any of the mercenaries whoseappearance he knew.

  It was easy to see, for nearer to him were his own people, one here andthere perched upon some eminence, evidently on the look-out, and byrunning his eye along the edge of the rough amphitheatre he could tracenearly all the sentries, and at the same time note that beyond them inevery ravine running downward there were hundreds of those who he atonce concluded were the enemy.

  "There are a great many of them," said Marcus to himself coolly, for hewas not yet fully awake to his position, "and they seem to be very near;but our men appear to be ready for them, and the cavalry are standingwith their horses waiting, I suppose, for orders, while--yes, thechariots! The horses are harnessed in. Are mine? Yes, and the driverready."

  Marcus had raised himself to look over the front of his chariot--amovement which excited the dog, who began to whine, and then watched hismaster eagerly as if to see what he would do next.

  "It looks as if we are going to make a fresh start," thought Marcus;"and a good thing too, for it is chilly and cheerless; but we can't getaway from here without fighting."

  This last thought came with a look of excitement, for the boy's brainwas growing clearer and he was rapidly grasping the fact that they weresurrounded by a vast number of the enemy.

  "What has become of Serge?" he said, half aloud.

  The old soldier came into sight almost as he asked the question,carrying a vessel of water in one hand and something that looked like acake of bread in the other.

  "Awake, boy?" he said, as he came out. "I thought you'd be hungry whenyou did open your eyes, and so I managed to get this, but I've nigh hadit snatched away three times as I came back, for our fellows are gettingsavage for want of food. Not that it matters much, for they'll fightall the better to get down to the plains and plunder."

  "Then we're going to fight, Serge?" cried Marcus, eagerly.

  "Not much doubt about that, boy."

  "And start downward for the plains?"

  "Ah, there's a deal of doubt about that, my lad. I dare say the chiefwould like to, but we're regularly shut up in this rocky hole."

  "But he ought not to have let the enemy shut us up, ought he?"

  "It was a case of can't help it, my boy," growled Serge. "From the timewe halted this morning the barbarians have been gathering round andstreaming down from the mountains, till there they are, thousands uponthousands of them, hanging on the hills and running down the hollowstill they look like human rivers. We were obliged to have a rest andrefresh, for a man can't go on fighting and marching for ever, even ifhe be a Roman; and ever since we've been resting the enemy has beencollecting, till they are like you see. Well, why don't you lookround?"

  "I did," cried Marcus, "and saw all this before you came. Then we're ina sore strait, Serge?"

  "Yes, a very sore one, boy; but eat your bread."

  "Not now," said Marcus, quickly. "Let me have a drink of water."

  He took hold of the vessel and had a long, deep draught, one whichseemed to clear away the last mental cobweb from his brain.

  "Now eat a bit," said Serge, offering the cake; but the boy shook hishead and swept the surroundings with anxious eyes.

  "Very well," said the old soldier. "You'll be hungry by-and-by." Andslipping the cake into his wallet, he looked sternly at the boy, whoturned to him directly.

  "Then you think that we shall not be able to cut our way out, Serge?" hesaid.

  "Sure of it, boy. They're too many for us."

  "Then what is to be done?"

  "What the chief likes, boy; but if I were he I should stand fast and letthe enemy hammer at us till he grows tired of losing men."

  "Then you think we can beat them off?"

  "Yes, boy, for a time; but we've got no stores to speak of, and evenRomans can't, as I said before, or something like it, go on fighting forever. But we shall do our best."

  "Yes," said Marcus, with a sigh, as he looked thoughtfully round,unconsciously playing with the dog's ears the while, to that animal'sgreat satisfaction. "But I don't like it, Serge."

  "You don't? Well, you're a queer sort of a boy, then," growled the oldsoldier. "I never met a boy before who said that he didn't likefighting."

  "I did not say so," cried Marcus, sharply. "I was talking about ourposition here."

  "Oh, I see!" growled Serge. "What about it? Strong enough foranything."

  "Perhaps so, but here we are shut in amongst all these rocks, with noroom for the horsemen or the chariots to be of any use. How could wegallop along here, or how could the cavalry attack?"

  Serge took off his great helmet, wiped his brow with the back of hishand, and stared hard at his young companion for some moments, till theboy noticed the heavy, fierce look, and coloured.

  "Why do you look at me like that?" he asked.

  "Cause you make me, boy?"

  "How? What do you mean?"

  "Who taught you to talk like that, boy? Anyone would think you were ayoung general."

  "Nonsense, Serge!" cried Marcus, with the tint upon his face growingdeeper. "I spoke like that because you taught me and made me understandabout the uses and movements of horse and foot. I'm sorry I was notright, but you need not laugh at me."

  "What, boy?" cried the old soldier, warmly. "Laugh at you! Why, if Igrinned it was because I was pleased and proud to see what a cleverfellow you are growing up to be. Why, a well-trained old soldier couldnot have spoken better. You're as right as right, and it is unfortunatethat our chief should be surrounded here in a place where he can't usethe best part of his troops. But there, we won't argue about it.'Tarn't a common soldier's duty to talk over what his general does.What he, a fighting man, has to do is to fight and do in all things whathe is told. Do you see?"

  "Yes, Serge, I see, but--"

  Marcus ended by making a sign intended to mean, Hold your tongue.

  But Serge did not interpret it rightly.

  "Yes, I see what you mean, and it's of no use to say `but' to me. Ourchief is a thoroughly good commander of men, and if he has got us intothis hole of a place, where we are all shut up tightly without a chanceto get out, why it's--"

  Serge stopped short, to draw himself up tightly, for all at once heunderstood the true meaning of Marcus' sign, having suddenly becomeaware of the fact that their captain had in going from post to poststopped close to his elbow, and had heard nearly every word that hadbeen spoken, while it was evident that he was thinking of something elseat the same time, for he finished the old soldier's sentence for him inthe way he interpreted it.

  "Why, it is his duty to get us out of it, eh, my man? That is what youwere going to say, is it not?"

  "Well, something like it, captain," faltered the veteran; "but I didn'tmean no harm."

  "Of course you did not, but you were teaching this boy to criticise hissuperiors. Well, my man, you as an old soldier can see that we are in avery dangerous position."

  "Yes, captain."

  "And that if I try to cut my way out with the force I have at my commandI may succeed."

  "You will succeed, captain."

  "Well, yes, I believe I should," said the captain, quickly; "but itwould only be with the loss of a gr
eat number of men that could not bespared, and my division would afterwards be of little value to the mainforce."

  "Yes, captain; that's right," growled Serge.

  "Spoken like a good old fighting man," said the chief. "Now, then,speaking with your experience, what is best for me to do?"

  "Set the men to build up rough walls with the stones, twice as strong asyou have already."

  "Good! Go on," cried the chief, while Marcus stood listening with hislips apart, and quivering with excitement the while.

  "Then sit fast and wait."

  "Without supplies?"

  "Plenty of water from the spring yonder," growled Serge.

  "Food?" said the chief, sharply.

  "Foraging parties," continued Serge.

  "Not to be depended upon in this high desert, man."

  "Capture the enemy's provisions," said Serge.

  "Doubtful, my man," cried the captain. "Can you propose nothing else?"

  "Send off messenger at once on to the generals in front, telling how youare fixed, and asking for help at once."

  "Hah!" cried the captain. "That is what I was waiting for you to say.Now for the messenger I must send to Julius and Cracis."

  "Someone who knows the country."

  "There is no one," said the captain, sharply. "Whoever goes must findhis way by the traces left by the generals."

  "Yes, that's right, captain," said Serge.

  "Well, man, whom am I to send?"

  "Me!" cried Marcus, excitedly. "I'll find my father and take yourmessage."

  "You shall, boy," said the captain, catching Marcus by the arm. "It iswhat I planned, for I am going to send to Cracis, who will be directingthe forces and the arrangements of the campaign, while Caius Juliusleads the men. You, boy, have one of the best chariots and the swiftesthorses in the force. There is no need for me to write if you tell yourfather that you come from me. Tell him everything you know, and that Iam going to hold out to the last, even if I have to butcher the horsesthat the men may live. Tell him I am in a perilous strait, and thathelp must come to save me and give the enemy a lesson that they will notforget."

  "Yes--yes," cried Marcus; "and I start at once?"

  "Not yet, only be quite ready to dash off yonder by the lower trackwhich you can see leading downward through those hills. I say dash off,but only if the enemy make for you. If you are not followed hastenslowly for your horses' sake. Remember that he who goes softly goesfar, and I want sureness more than speed."

  "But he can't get out yonder, captain," growled Serge, fiercely. "Youare going to kill the boy."

  "Well," said the captain, with a peculiar smile, "could I honour the sonof great Cracis more than by letting him die for the sake of hiscountry?"

  "That's all very grand in sound, captain," cried Serge, grasping Marcus'other arm, "but he's my boy as much as his father's, and I won't standby and see him go alone to sudden death."

  "Serge!" cried Marcus, fiercely. "How dare you! Captain, don't heedhim; I am ready to go the moment you say the word, and--and--"

  "Well, boy?"

  "If I am killed," continued Marcus, struggling hard with his emotion,"and you ever see my father again, tell him, sir, that I went to mydeath doing my duty, as he taught me, and praying that he will forgiveme for disobeying his commands."

  "I will, boy," cried the chief, warmly; "but it shall not come to that,for you will reach your father, I feel sure, and bring me the help Ineed."

  "He can't, captain, I tell you," cried Serge, fiercely. "Yes, you maypunish me, a common soldier, for speaking as I do, but I tell you onceagain that I will not stand by and see my dear old master's sonbutchered, for it's nothing else. A boy like him, brave as he is, oughtnot to be sent, even if it is for his country's sake, when there areplenty of stout, strong men who could do the work as well or better,because they are hard and tough."

  "Be silent, Serge," cried Marcus, passionately. "Don't punish him,captain; he means well, but he is half mad to speak to you like that."

  "You need not appeal, my boy," said the captain, smiling. "I shouldpunish no man for being brave and true to those he has served."

  "But I tell you, captain," raged out Serge, "that it would be likemurder to send the boy like that."

  "Silence, old madman," cried the captain. "Why, I should be as mad asyou even to think of doing such a thing. Listen, boy; be ready, andwhen the rest of the chariots are moved off towards the upper part ofthe track along with the rest of the force, you will keep back amongstthe rocks. I shall lead the men myself and make a feigned attack as ifI were going to retreat back by the way we came; and in the excitementand confusion, when the enemy yonder have drawn off to go to theircompanions' assistance and take me in the rear, you will watch yourchance and escape."

  "Yes, I see," cried Marcus, excitedly; and the captain went on:

  "The chances are that if you are noticed no one will try to stop you.It will be thought that you are deserting and seeking your safety inflight."

  "Yes, yes," cried Marcus; "and now I shall be sure to succeed."

  "Yes, captain, that's better," growled Serge, in his deepest tones. "Ilike that."

  "Then take good heed to his safety, man," cried the captain, warmly,"and die for him if there is need, for I would rather lose a hundred mensuch as you than one like him."

  "But--but--" stammered Serge, "you don't mean--"

  "I don't mean!" cried the captain. "Why, the boy is right: you are anold madman to think that I would send that brave boy alone when he hassuch a faithful old follower as you at his side. No, no; go with him,and bring him back safely to me, along with the help I ask, or never seemy face again."

  Before he had finished, rough old Serge, with the big tears standing inhis eyes, was down upon one knee catching at the leader's hand andcarrying it to his lips.

  "There, there, there," cried the captain, "time is precious. No more ofthis. Boy, you have the safety of this force in your hands. Oldveteran, I give you charge as bodyguard of this, my young despatchbearer. I do not tell you to do your duty, both of you; I only say,remember Rome. Farewell."

  The captain turned quickly away to join a knot of his chiefs who wereanxiously awaiting his return, and the next minute, fixed in theirpositions, neither feeling as if he had the power to stir, Marcus andSerge were alone.