The Scarlet Banner

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XV

  Belisarius also witnessed it from his station on the hill. "Fly," hecried to Procopius; "fly to Fara and the Herulians! They must swing tothe left and take those red rags."

  "And the Huns?" asked Procopius under his breath. "Look yonder; theyare riding slowly forward, but not westward, not against the Vandals."

  "Obey! This German war dance around the red banner must first be put toa bloody end, or their Teutonic battle fiend will take possession ofthem, and then all is over. My face alone will keep the Huns in check,should there be need of it."

  Meanwhile the dragon banner had again changed bearers. All the lancesand arrows were aimed at the dangerous emblem, visible far and wide.Gundobad's horse fell; its rider did not rise again. But his brotherGundomar took the standard from the dying noble's hand and ran thepoint of its shaft into the throat of Cyprianus, the second leader ofthe Thracians, whose battle-axe had cleft Gundobad's helmet and head ashe tried to spring up from his dead charger.

  Hilda had seen the red banner disappear for a moment, and anxiouslygave her stallion a light blow with her hand. The fiery animal shotforward in frantic haste; not until she reached the edge of the streamcould the Princess draw rein. Her companions gained the new positionmuch later.

  Althias now reached the second Gunding. Unequal, unfavorable to everybearer of the standard was the conflict. His left hand, holding thebridle and the heavy standard, could not use the shield, and thisburden also impeded very considerably the action of his right arm indefence. After a short struggle Gundomar, transfixed by the Thracian'sspear, sank from his horse. But Gibamund was already on the spot, andZazo, dashing close behind him, no sooner saw the standard safe in hisbrother's hand than he shouted, "Belisarius has a banner too."

  Turning swiftly to the left, by the mere weight of his horse he burstthrough a rank of the Thracians, reached Belisarius's bodyguard, whobore the gold-embroidered standard, and, with a sword-stroke throughthe front of the helmet into his brow, felled him. The Roman General'sbanner sank, while Gibamund, surrounded and protected by his band ofpicked warriors, waved the scarlet dragon standard high in the air.

  Hilda saw it distinctly. Involuntarily she obeyed the impulse to goforward after the victory. The stallion, yielding to the lightestmovement, bore her across the stream, whose water barely wet the edgeof her long white robe. She was on the other side. She was pursuingvictory. Before her, a little to the left, she already saw Gelimer andhis troops; the whole Vandal centre was advancing. It was the crisis,the turning-point of the battle.

  Again Althias tried to force his way through the Vandal ranks toGibamund himself; he had almost reached him, and they had exchanged twowhizzing sword-strokes, which made the sparks fly from their blades,when from the left cries of grief and rage fell on the Thracian's earfrom the Byzantines. He turned, and saw his General's banner sink.

  This was the second time; for Zazo had already struck down the secondman who bore it. The victor was stretching his hand toward the shaft,which no third man seemed inclined to lift.

  Just at that moment, close at hand on the right, German horns soundedin Zazo's ears. The Herulians, dashing on their snorting horses uponthe Vandals' flank, broke through several of their ranks to theirleader.

  A spear--well aimed, for Fara had hurled it--shattered the buffalo helmon the hero's head. He could no longer think of Belisarius's banner. Hewas obliged to consider his own safety.

  "Help, brother Gelimer!" he shouted.

  "I am here, brother Zazo," rang the answer. For the King was already athand. Slowly following the advance of the brothers, he had led hisVandals and Moors nearer and nearer, and noticed the second charge andthe moment of peril.

  "Forward! Cut Zazo out," he shouted, dashing upon the Herulians at thehead of his men. A warrior sprang to meet him, clutched the bridle ofthe cream-colored charger with his left hand, and aimed his spear withthe right. Before it flew, Gelimer's sword had pierced the Herulian'sthroat. Hilda saw it; for, as if irresistibly attracted by the battle,she rode nearer and nearer.

  Just at this moment she perceived Verus in full priestly robes,unarmed, dash past her straight to the King. It was no easy task toforce a passage to his side through the Moors and Vandals. Gelimerstruck down a second spear-man, a third. Already he was close to Zazo.The charge of his Vandals now came full upon the Herulians. The latterdid not yield, but they no longer gained a foot of ground. As twowrestlers, with arms interlocked, each unable to move the other fromthe spot, measure equal strength, the German warriors surged to andfro. Victory hung in the balance.

  "Where are the foot-soldiers?" asked Belisarius, glancing anxiouslytoward the distant heights where the Numidian road extended towardCarthage.

  "I have sent out three messengers," answered Procopius. "There! TheThracians are yielding! The Armenians are falling back! The Heruliansare now pressed by greatly superior numbers."

  "Forward, Illyrians, save the battle for me. Belisarius himself willlead you--"

  And with a loud blare of trumpets, the General dashed down the hill tothe aid of the Herulians. Gelimer heard the flourish, saw the charge,and summoned reinforcements from the rearguard.

  "There," he shouted, pointing with his sword, "and join me in thebattle-song,

  "Vengeance is preparing The avenger of right."

  "You here, Verus? What news do you bring? Your face is--"

  "O King!" cried the priest, "what blood-guiltiness!"

  "What has happened?"

  "The messenger I sent to the prisoners--one of myfreedmen--misunderstood your words: 'Have them taken away, where no onecan free them.'"

  "Well?"

  "He has--he reported it to me, and fled when he saw my wrath."

  "Well, what is it?"

  "He has--killed Hilderic and Euages."

  "Omniscient God!" cried the King, paling. "That was not my wish."

  "But still more," Verus went on.

  "Help, Gelimer!" Zazo's voice shouted from the densest ranks of theconflict.

  Belisarius and his Illyrians had now reached him. Gibamund was by hisside. Gelimer also spurred his horse.

  But Verus grasped his bridle, shouting in his ear: "The letter, thewarning to Hilderic--I found it just now, wedged between two drawers inthe coffer. Here it is. Hilderic did not lie! He only wished to protecthimself against you. Innocent--he was deposed, imprisoned, slain!"

  Gelimer, speechless with horror, stared for a moment into the priest'sstony face; he seemed stupefied. Then the battle-song of his men echoedin his ears:--

  "Vengeance is preparing High in the heavens The avenger of right!"

  "Woe, woe is me! I am a criminal, a murderer," the King shrieked aloud.The sword slipped from his grasp. He covered his face with both hands.A terrible convulsion shook him. He seemed falling from the saddle.Verus supported him, wheeled the King's horse so that his back wastoward the foe, and gave the animal a blow on the hind quarter with allhis strength. The charger dashed madly away. Sersaon and Markomer, theleaders of the cavalry, supported the swaying figure on the right andleft.

  "Help! help! I am being overcome, brother Gelimer!" Zazo's voice againrose,--more urgently, nay, despairingly. But it was drowned by thewild, frantic cries of the Vandals.

  "Fly! fly! The King himself has fled! Fly! Save the women, thechildren!" And the Vandals, by hundreds, now wheeled their horses anddashed away toward the stream and the camp.

  Then Hilda, now only a few paces from the tumult, saw Zazo's toweringfigure disappear. His horse, pierced by a spear, fell; it was bleedingfrom more than one wound. But the hero sprang up again.

  Fara the Herulian reached him from the left, and cleft hisdragon-shield with his battle-axe. Zazo flung the pieces at the helmetof the Herulian, stunning him so that he swayed in his saddle. NowBarbatus, the Illyrian leader, his long lance levelled, pressed uponZazo from the right. With his last strength Zazo pushed it aside,sprang to the right, th
e shieldless side of the rider, and thrust hissword into his neck between the helmet and breastplate. Barbatus sankslowly from the saddle toward the left. But, in springing back, Zazohad fallen on his knees. Before he could rise, two horsemen withlevelled lances stood before him.

  "Help, Gibamund!" called the kneeling Prince, raising his left armabove his head in place of a shield. He looked around. Everywhere foes,no Vandal. Yes,--one. Yonder still waved the scarlet banner. "Help,Gibamund!" he cried.

  One of his two assailants fell from his horse. Gibamund was at Zazo'sside. He had struck the man under the shoulder of his upraised arm withthe spear-point of the banner staff. But now Fara, who meanwhile hadrecovered from Zazo's blow, dropping his bridle, grasped with his lefthand at the shaft of the scarlet standard. With great difficultyGibamund defended himself with his sword against the tremendous blowsthe Herulian's right arm dealt with his battle-axe. And already theother horseman, in front of Zazo, bent a leonine face toward him.

  "Yield, brave man. Yield to me. I am Belisarius."

  But Zazo shook his head. With failing strength he sprang up, his swordraised to strike. Then the Roman General drove the point of his spearwith all his force through his breastplate up to the handle.

  The dying warrior cast one more glance toward the left. He sawGibamund's white horse, covered with blood-stains, falling; he saw thescarlet banner sink. "Woe betide thee, Vandalia!" he cried, as his eyesgrew dim in death.

  "That was indeed a hero," said Belisarius, bending over him. "Where isGenseric's banner, Fara?"

  "Gone!" replied the latter, wrathfully. "Far away. Do you see? It isalready vanishing over there, beyond the stream."

  "Who has--?"

  "A woman. In a falcon helmet. With a shining white shield. I believe itwas a Valkyria," said the pagan, with a slight shiver of fear. "Ithappened so swiftly I scarcely saw it. I had just struck down the youngstandard-bearer's horse. Just at that moment a black steed--I never sawsuch an animal--plunged against my own horse so that it fell back uponits haunches. I heard a cry: 'Hilda! I thank you!' At the same momentthe black charger dashed far, far away from me. I think it now carriedtwo figures! A long fluttering white mantle--or was it swan-wings?--andabove floated the scarlet banner. There, now they are vanishing in thatcloud of dust. 'Hilda!' the German murmured to himself. The name suitstoo. Yes, the Valkyria bore him away."

  "Forward!" shouted Belisarius. "Follow! Over the stream! There is nolonger a Vandal army. The centre is broken and defeated. Their leftwing--aha, look yonder, our right wing, the faithful Huns--" He laughedgrimly. "Now they are rushing from their hill, hewing down the flyingBarbarians. What heroism! And how they are all struggling to reach thecamp to plunder! Now, at last, our infantry have joined our left wing;there, too, the Vandals are flying without a struggle. On, to the camp!Do not let the Huns secure the whole booty. All the gold and silver forthe Emperor, the pearls and precious stones for the Empress! Forward!"