The Scarlet Banner

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XI

  The following day, after again inspecting the restored fortificationsof Carthage, and finding them sufficiently strong to receive, in caseof necessity, his defeated army and defy a siege, Belisarius sent allthe cavalry, except five hundred picked Illyrians, out of the gates tomeet the foe. To Althias the Thracian he assigned the chosen body ofshield-bearers with the imperial banner. They were not to shun, butrather invite a skirmish with the outposts. He himself was to followthe next day with the main body of the infantry and the five hundredIllyrian horsemen. Only the few soldiers absolutely required to guardthe gates, towers, and walls remained in the city.

  At Trikameron, about seventeen Roman miles--seventeen thousandpaces--west of Carthage, Althias met the foe.

  The front ranks of both troops exchanged a few arrow-shots, andreturned to their armies with the report. The Byzantines pitchedtheir camp where they stood. Not far from them blazed the numerouswatch-fires of the Vandals. A narrow brook ran between the twopositions. The whole region was flat and treeless, with the exceptionof one hill of moderate size that rose from the sandy soil very nearthe stream on the left wing of the Romans.

  Without waiting for Althias's command or permission, Aigan, theprincipal leader of the Huns, dashed up the hill as soon as he heardthat the men were to encamp here to-day and fight on the morrow. Theother leaders and their bands darted after him with the speed of anarrow. He sent a message to Althias that the Huns would spend the nighton the hill, and take their position the next day. Althias avoidedforbidding what he could not prevent without bloodshed. But the hilldominated the surrounding neighborhood.

  At a late hour of the night, the chieftains of the Huns met on the topof the hill.

  "Is there no spy near?" asked Aigan. "This Herulian Prince never leavesus."

  "My lord, I obeyed your commands. Seventy Huns are lying on guard in acircle around our station; not a bird can fly over them unnoticed."

  "What shall we do to-morrow?" asked a third, leaning against hishorse's shoulder and patting its shaggy mane. "I no longer trust theword of Belisarius. He is deceiving us."

  "Belisarius is not deceiving us. His master is deluding _him_."

  "I saw a strange sign," the second leader began anxiously. "Just asdarkness closed in, little blue flames danced upon the points of theRomans' spears. What does that mean?"

  "It means victory," cried the third, greatly excited. "There is atradition in our tribe, my great-grandfather saw it himself, and it wastransmitted from generation to generation, before the terrible day inGaul when the scourge of the great Attila broke."

  "Atta in the clouds, great Atta, be gracious to us," murmured allthree, bowing low toward the east.

  "My ancestor was on guard duty one dark night beside a rushing stream.On the opposite shore two men, with spears on their shoulders, wereriding to examine the neighborhood. My great-grandfather and hiscompanions slipped among the tall rushes and bent their bows, whichnever failed. They took aim. 'Look, AEtius,' cried one, 'your spear isshining.' 'And yours too, King of the Visigoths,' replied the other.Our ancestors looked up, and, in truth, blue flames were dancing aroundthe spears of the enemy. Our people fled in terror, not daring to shootthose whom the gods protected. And the day after Atta--"

  "Atta, Atta, be not angry with us!" they again whispered, gazing interror up at the clouds.

  "What then meant victory to the Germans and misfortune to their foes,"replied Aigan, distrustfully, "may have the same meaning now. We willwait. Wherever victory turns, we will turn too; that is why I chosethis hill for our station. From here we can see clearly the wholecourse of the battle. Either straight across the brook on the Vandals'left flank--"

  "Or to the right on the Romans' centre--like a whirlwind!"

  "I would rather plunder the Vandals' camp. It is said to be very richin yellow gold."

  "And in white-bosomed women."

  "But all Carthage has more gold than the Vandal Prince in his tent."

  "But the best part is, the decision will probably come before the Lionof the Romans arrives."

  "You are right: I would not willingly spur my horse against thewrathful lightning of his eyes."

  "Patience. Wait quietly. Wherever I send an arrow, we will rush; andAtta will hover, high in the air, above his children."

  Removing his helmet of thick black sheepskin, he threw it upward,singing softly:

  "Atta, Atta, booty grant us, Booty to thy much-loved children, Yellow gold and shining silver, And the red blood of the vineyard, And the foeman's fairest women."

  All, with bared heads, repeated the words in the deepest, most ferventreverence. Then Aigan replaced his helmet:

  "Silence! Let us separate."