CHAPTER XXVI
THE OUTLAWS
From early spring, however, all this normal traffic was interfered with,delayed, hindered and even totally blockaded by column after column ofwains and wagons passing southwards, huge wagons, drawn by six or eight oreven ten horses or mules or by as many big long-horned white oxen, everywagon laden with a cage or two or more cages containing beasts beingconveyed to the Colosseum in Rome. This amazing procession roused myinterest as soon as it began to pass; filling, clogging, blocking thehighway and continuing without intermission day after day, ceasing itsmovement, indeed, each night, but making the roadside almost a continuouscamp of teamsters and caretakers, barely half of them sleeping, the moietybusy about their draft-cattle or the cages of their charges.
The endless stream of caravans amazed me. I had seen beast-fights withoutnumber in the Colosseum, but had never thought of the enormous labor andexpense incident on the preparations for even one morning's exhibition of,say, a hundred lions and other beasts in proportion. Now I meditated overthe thousands of trappers and other hunters who must scour the forests ofDacia, Moesia, Thrace, Illyricum, Pannonia, Noricum, Rhaetia and Germanyto gather such a supply of beasts for exhibition. I saw wolves, bears andboars by the thousand, and hundreds of lynxes, elk and wild bulls, boththe strange forest-bisons, unlike our cattle, with low rumps and highshoulders and their horns turned downwards and forwards, parallel to eachother, and the huger and even fiercer bulls, much like farm bulls, butlarger, taller and leaner and with horns incredibly long, so that theirtips were often two yards and more apart. I had no idea of the vastnumbers of such beasts which were yearly poured into Rome from all themountains and forests to the north and east of the Alps. I was amazed.
Even more was I amazed to see hundreds upon hundreds of cages containingbeasts not from northern Europe, but from Africa, or even from Asia: lionswithout number, panthers and leopards by the hundred, many tigers,antelopes of all kinds by scores of each kind, rhinoceroses, andhippopotami in enormous cages on gigantic wains drawn by twelve yoke ofoxen; even a dozen huge gray elephants pacing sedately, their turbaned_mahouts_ rocking on their necks.
I knew that the traffic in beasts from the northern forests concentratedat Aquileia and I had a hazy notion that they were customarily shippedfrom there by sea round Italy and through the straits to the Tiber. Mycuriosity was excited as to why they were now coming overland instead ofgoing by sea. Still more was I curious as to why these hordes of animalsfrom the south should be traversing Italy from the north.
I asked questions and could get no satisfaction from the natives of thedistrict: slaves, peasants, yeomen, proprietors, overseers, _Villicus_ andall, they one and all knew nothing. If they claimed to know, what theyalleged merely emphasized their ignorance.
The constabulary knew, but were inclined to be reticent and, when theyspoke, were laconic. Yet their briefest utterances contained hints whichconfirmed the only fact I had elicited from the natives: namely, that thistraffic was not only unusual along the Flaminian Highway, but had neverbeen seen on it before; was a complete novelty, even a portent. They alsoconfirmed my impression that few animals destined for beast-fights in theamphitheatres reached Rome overland; as I had thought, practically all hadhitherto come by sea and up the Tiber.
Still curious, I made friends with the teamsters. Some were from Ravenna,and even these grumbled at the two hundred and fifty miles as ruinous totheir cattle. The animals they convoyed had come overland from Aquileia toAltinum and from there to Ravenna by sea. In this way had come thecrocodiles, hippopotami and rhinoceroses.
More teamsters were from Aquileia itself. Some of these with the lighterwagons for the cages containing wolves, lynxes, small antelopes, hyenasor African apes, had been able to take the shorter though poorer road byway of Patavium and Ateste to Bononia, which made their total journeyunder five hundred and twenty miles. But most, including all thoseconveying bears, boars, panthers, leopards, lions or tigers, had come bythe more northerly road through Verona. Those with panthers, leopards orsmall stags had come from Verona, by way of Hostilia to Bononia and fromthere southward as did all, making their journey about five hundred andfifty miles; the men conveying cages of tigers, lions, bears, boars, elk,or wild bulls had mostly come from Verona through Cremona; from there somethrough Regio to Bononia, others through Placentia; and for these theirtotal teaming did not differ much, about six hundred and twenty miles forthe ones and ten miles more for the others. Teams tugging wains carryingthe heaviest cages containing unusually large elk, boars, bears or bulls,had had to go by way of Milan and had been put to it to keep their teamsfit for a journey of over seven hundred miles.
Besides the difference in weight of the loads, chiefly depending on theneeded strength of the cages, I found that their divergence of routes wasdue, in part, to the efforts which the procurator of all this teaming hadmade to avoid choking the roads. The teamsters averred that they knewnothing as to why the beasts were being brought this way; and no more asto why animals brought all the way from Africa to Aquileia, a voyage farlonger than the voyage to Rome, should then be conveyed overland from,Aquileia to the Colosseum.
I enjoyed idling about the teamsters' camps chatting with them and theattendants who cared for the beasts. One hot evening, just about sunset,when I was already thinking of riding off home to bathe and dine, while Iwas lingering to watch his keepers urging their little gang of slaves topour more and more water over a gasping hippopotamus, there was a yell ofalarm all along the line and a scampering, scattering rush of fleeing men;teamsters, attendants and keepers. A panther had broken out of its cage,when a wagon overset.
He came down the middle of the highway, keeping to it, as everyone ran offit to right and left. I had strolled some distance from where I hadtethered my horse. Naturally, as I could not mount and dash off, I did notrun. I stepped into the middle of the road and faced the beast. Of course,he stopped, stood still and stared at me. I walked towards him, verydeliberately, even pausing between paces, till I was an arm's length fromhim. He cringed and cowered. I took him by the scruff of his neck, turnedhim round, led him back to his cage, which was not broken, only jarredopen, made him enter it, and closed the door on him.
Thereupon the fugitives flocked back, acclaiming me as a sorcerer. Thesuperintendent of that caravan insisted on my giving him my name. I toldhim I was Felix, the horse-wrangler of the Imperial estate. He gave me abroad gold piece.
Unable to elicit anything from the natives or the teamsters I resorted tothe outlaws. I had been admonished before I saw any of them that it wasnot according to the etiquette of the district for anyone to ride a horseinto the outlaws' camp. If anywhere near it one visited it on foot. If toofar one carefully avoided appearing to ride towards it or from it. Whenthe camp, for instance, happened to be south of my cottage I would rideoff north, east, or west, fetch a long compass about, tether my horse atleast half a mile from the camp, generally farther away, and strolltowards it. On leaving I invariably departed by a path different from thatby which I had come. When I reached my horse I was careful similarly tochoose a return route which would bring me home some direction other thanthat towards which I had gone off. Of course, I always observed theseprecautions, since any neglect of them, if known, would have not only mademe unwelcome to the brigands, but also gotten me into disfavor with thewhole countryside.
When I reached the outlaws' camp I was careful to let them do most of thetalking and to wait for the talk to come round to the subject of thebeast-caravans. I had not long to wait, and, when I expressed my amazementand curiosity, they showed no reluctance about informing me. Bulla himselfexplained that Commodus had become so interested in beast-fighting, haddeveloped such transcendent skill at fighting beasts and had grown soinfatuated with the sport that he spent most of his time in the arena,displaying his dexterity to invited audiences composed of senators,nobles, notabilities and their wives and even children; in whichexhibitions he had killed so many creatures that he had not only depleted
but had almost exhausted the normal reserves constantly kept at Rome,Ostia and the other Tiber ports. When the procurators in charge of thesupplies of beasts for the arena realized that the Emperor was killing hisvictims faster than they normally were brought in, even lavishly as theyhad always been provided, they sent out orders urging greatly increasedefforts at hunting, capturing, caring for and rapidly transporting allsorts of creatures destined for the Colosseum. The Emperor's killingcapacity and love of enjoying and exhibiting his knack so outran theirmeasures that, by the time the increased supply began to come in, theroyal sportsman's unerrancy and swiftness outran their best results, sothat hasty messages had to be sent to Marseilles, Aquileia, Byzantium,Antioch and Alexandria ordering the instant despatch to Rome, with theutmost speed, regardless of expense, not only of all newly captured beastsas they came in, in contravention of the long-established regulations bywhich Rome and the provincial capitals shared each variety of animal, butalso the concurrent despatch of the local reserves, even the emptying ofthe beast despositories attached to each amphitheatre. As the voyage fromAquileia to Rome was of variable duration, owing to the uncertainty andshiftiness of the winds, orders had been given to forward all its reservesand supplies, at once, overland. Hence the spectacle which had so excitedthe countryside and so amazed me. As Commodus was still slaughtering allsorts of beasts daily not only with arrows and spears, to show off hisaccuracy as a marksman but, even with sword or club, to display hisincredible swiftness of movement and unerrancy in directing and timing ablow, he was taxing the capacities of his procurators and their giganticorganization of transports, teams, detention-pens, and hunters merely tostave off the apparently inevitable day when, whatever might run wild inthe deserts, forests and mountains, there would be, at Rome, far too fewbeasts to maintain the autocrat's daily sport.
When I expressed my astonishment at the certainty with which theseexplanations were uttered and my wonder as to how they came to be so sure,Bulla said:
"Why, our King of the Highwaymen has reliable, capable and secret agents,entirely unsuspected, in every city of Italy. He has a brother and sisterin Rome and equally devoted and unfailing helpers in Capua, Aquileia,Milan, Brundisium and Naples. He maintains a road service of swiftcouriers who bring him promptly all the information collected for him inthe cities, where his backers catch every breeze of rumor and areforehanded in getting advance information on all important moves of theauthorities as well as in sifting truth from falsehood. Equally prompt arehis couriers in disseminating to subsidiary bands like mine whatever hejudges we should learn; thus we know more of goings-on in Rome and atCourt than do provincial nobles and highway-police."
As I trudged from the camp to my horse, as I trotted homewards, I wasdespondent. I had no right to be so, for I was merely one of theinnumerable slaves held by the _fiscus_ as the property of Caesar. As suchI was notably well off. Even in my proper person I congratulated myself onmy amazing luck. I was alive, unsuspected, secure, well-housed, well-clad,well-cared for, freer than many a freeman, than many a nobleman,pleasantly busy at occasional tasks very congenial to me and blest withmuch leisure among a companionable population in a lovely region full ofdiversified and charming scenery set off by an exhilarating climate; Ishould have been gay.
Yet my thoughts were those of a Roman nobleman. I was horrified at thestate of the Republic. I knew that Italy had never been entirely free fromoutlaws. Even under Tiberius highwaymen had perpetrated successfulrobberies and had captured and held for ransom wealthy persons or evennotabilities. But under most of the Emperors these outrages had been fewand had occurred only in the wilder districts. During the civil warsbetween Otho and Vitellius brigandage had become rife all over Italy, evenup to the gates of Rome, and Vespasian had had much ado to exterminate theoutlaws. Again, under Nerva, bandits had multiplied and prospered. Butnone had ventured into any populous district during the principates ofTrajan, Hadrian and their successors until after the death of Aurelius.Now, because of the negligence of his son, outlaws had so prospered thatthey had a sort of organization among themselves, like a commonwealthinside the Republic, as I had seen during my captivity with Maternus andnow glimpsed again in Bulla's revelations. It argued a horribledisintegration of the governmental mechanism of the Republic and of theRoman character that such things had become possible.
Equally horrifying to me was the contemplation of Caesar's extravagance. Iknew that the Republic's income from all sources was insufficient to keepup the court establishment and ceremonials at their normal cost; to defraythe expenses of the state festivals with befitting magnificence of gamesin the circuses, amphitheatres and theatres; to maintain the Praetorianguards, city police, road constabulary and frontier garrisons. I knew thatall these branches of the necessary structure of the state were constantlyin want of more funds than could be supplied to them. I knew that thiswant of supplies crippled our commanders along the Euphrates, the Danube,the Rhine and the Wall, as well as far up the Nile and in the Euxine andmade possible the insolence of the Ethiopians and Caledonians as well asthe greater insolence of the Parthians, Goths and Germans.
Yet, when conditions so urgently called for greater expenditures along ourfrontiers and for close economy at home, I beheld our Prince stinting hiscommanders and their heroic legions and lavishing upon his own pleasureand the gratification of his amazing vanity sums which would have enabledour eagles not only to defy all assailants of our frontiers but to humbleand subdue every threatening foe, even to penetrate and subjugate Nubia,Parthia and inner Germany. I sickened at the thought of our shame alongthe frontiers as at the thought of the energies of thousands uponthousands of hard-muscled, bold-hearted young men wasted on capturingbeasts and the like energies of thousands upon thousands of hardy peasantswho ought to have been busy at productive labor on farms or in forests ormines, wasted on caring for and transporting swarms of beasts for Commodusto kill.
Those thoughts were depressing. I could not banish them.
The next day the mood persisted. I had nothing to do, did not feel likedoing anything in particular and yet felt restless. The weather wasperfect. I set off afoot for a place not far from my cottage, not farenough to be called a long walk, where a big gray crag or small cliff likean inland promontory, a spur of a forested mountain, towered up from thesoutheastern side of the Flaminian Highway. At that point the road was theboundary of the Imperial estate; the crag lay outside it, and, at thatpart of its foot which projected farthest, was not a hundred yards fromthe highway. The mountain rose a thousand feet or more from the meadowsalong the road. The crag was full three hundred feet high. It wasperfectly possible to toil up the steep wooded slope of the mountain andwalk out on either of two bush-covered shelves which ran round the crag.From the lower of these, where it belted the front of the vertical cliff,there was a fine view down upon the highway and along it both ways; fromthe upper more of the highway could be seen; from the very top of thecrag, which was bare except for two clumps of gnarled trees and starvedbushes near its brow, the view included a full two miles of the highway ineach direction.
I climbed the slope to the lower shelf and ensconced myself where I wasshaded from the sun and had a clear view of the road both ways. From mycoign I watched the traffic. I judged that the northern supply of arena-beasts was already overtaxed. The procession of wagons was no longercontinuous. They came now in trains of a hundred or so with some milesbetween the convoys. Just as I settled myself no beast-wagons were insight, the road-traffic was normal. An Imperial courier dashed into viewfrom the south, tore past at full gallop, and vanished northwards; threefamily travelling carriages, also bound north, pulling to the side of theroad to let him pass; as did a train of a score of mules laden withcharcoal.
The first sign of arena-beasts which I saw after I settled myself to watchwas a string of eight elephants, each with a turbaned mahout rocking onhis back, and seven each with his trunk clasping the tail of the elephantbefore him. This was the second batch of elephants I had heard of; theformer, I had
been told, came by way of Ateste, since the elephants couldswim the Po and all the other rivers had strong stone bridges. Theselooked well after their four hundred mile tramp and fit for the hundredand odd ahead of them.
Before they were out of sight there came into view the head of a column ofwagons which turned out to be loaded with cages of bears, lynxes, bison,aurochs, elk, wolves and other northern animals. I watched them pass andmeditated. After they were gone the road was normal for a full two hours,during which I pondered the thoughts which obsessed me and gloomed withshame over the condition of the Empire. I had brought food and water withme and ate about noon, slept an hour or more and woke to watch the passageof two trains of cages full of lions, tigers, leopards and panthers. Thesecond train was overtaken and passed by two Imperial couriers from thenorth, racing each other, the former more than a half mile ahead of thelatter, and, apparently lengthening his lead. I spent the day on the crag.Also I spent other days there, sometimes on one shelf, sometimes on theother, sometimes on the top.
Not many days elapsed before I again visited the outlaws' camp and hadanother chat with Bulla; not we two alone, for there was always an easysociability about the bandits and, if none took part in or broke intotheir chief's talk, usually two or more lay or sat about listening andsharing our interview.
In the course of our talk Bulla discoursed of his importance, of theimportance of the band, of the warm regard in which he and they were heldby their head chief, the King of the Highwaymen.
Some quirk inside my head made me venturesome.
"What is his name?" I queried. "You never name him."
"His orders!" Bulla snapped. "I know his name; not another man of our bandknows it. He never uses it and takes great pains to keep all outsiders whoknow his name from suspecting that he is King of the Highwaymen; andsimilarly to make sure that all outsiders who know him as King of theHighwaymen get no inkling of his name. If the knowledge got abroad theusefulness to him of his brother and sister in Rome would be destroyed."
I apologized for my question.
"No harm done," Bulla smiled. "I don't have to answer any questions unlessI want to, and I don't mind questions from you."
"If you don't," I pursued, emboldened, "perhaps you'll be willing toexplain how it can be that your king holds you and your band in such highesteem, whereas, to all appearances, you have not acquired a sesterce-worth of loot since long before I reached this neighborhood; in fact, asfar as I can hear, have not succeeded in robbing anyone since you locatedyour camp here?"
"I am perfectly willing to explain," laughed Bulla, looking moreformidable when he smiled or laughed than when expressionless. "We are nocheap bandits to rob market-women, poor farmers, ordinary travellers orsuch small fry. We angle for bigger fish. We bide our time. We are here tomake three big strokes and then a quick disappearance. Once we have ourhands on our chosen prisoners to be held for ransom we shall be off forthe mountain heights and the thickest forests; once we have the booty wehope for, those in charge of it will ride fast and far and get clear outof this part of Italy. Is that intelligible?"
"Entirely," said I, and was mute.
Bulla gazed at me almost genially.
"I don't in the least mind telling you," he said, "just what we arewaiting for. Half the countryside knows and are alert to help us all theyknow how.
"In the first place we have word of a big consignment of gold on the wayto Rome; ingots from the mines in the mountains of Noricum, nuggets anddust washed from the rivers of Dacia and Pannonia and Moesia. Of course itis in charge of a wary official and has a strong guard, but we have goodhopes of getting it. If we do, it will be the biggest haul that any of ourbands ever made, and that he has put me here to try for it is proof of myKing's esteem for me.
"In the second place a wealthy senator, just the right man to capture andhold for ransom, is coming up from Rome in charge of a big chest of goldcoin to be paid out by the administrators of Asia and Macedonia andAchaia. He himself is going out as propraetor of Asia. With him is awealthy widow, going north to be married at Aquileia, and taking with hera big jewel-chest full of the finest and largest gems in the mostmagnificent settings. So we have in prospect three prisoners for ransomand three rich treasures.
"The difficulty is that it will be almost impossible to make bothcaptures. If we nab the propraetor and widow, with the coin and gems, therumor or report of it is almost certain to warn the procurator with theraw gold so that he will elude us. Similarly if we get him, news of ourpresence will most likely reach and alarm the propraetor and the widow. Ifone comes ten days or even five before the other we can scarcely hope forcomplete success. If fewer days intervene we might get both. I am here toget both. The King thinks me capable of the feat. His instructions arethat, in case I judge that I can get but one, I am to try for theprocurator and his gold, as it is estimated that his gold is worth atleast twice the coin and gems together, even adding the possible ransomsof the widow and the propraetor.
"I am hoping they will come only a day apart or even the same day; all ourcouriers with letters about the progress of the gold convoy and thewidow's preparations indicate that they will reach this part of the roadat about the same time. They might meet each other right here where, wewant them together. I keep nursing that hope.
"Now you know as much as you need to know about our plans."
I thanked him and marvelled at his frankness. But, as I rode home, Ireflected that thinking me the Imperial slave I appeared, he thought mecertain to be secret and, if possible, helpful.
I spent the next day and the next on my crag, watching the fascinatingspectacle afforded by the highway.
On the third day the _Villicus_ chided me for having told my name to thesub-procurator after I had recaged the panther.
"An Imperial courier has just passed," he said. "He is a close friend of atrusty friend of mine in Rome. Like most couriers he is obliging and willcarry letters for his friends, even packets. He dropped here a note forme, warning me that I am likely to lose you. My friend is a crony of someof the upper slaves in the Palace and of others in the Beast Barracks.
"Your manumission, which was urged by the aldermen of Nuceria, has beenfavorably reported and may be ordered. On the other hand, the procuratorin charge of the reserves of arena-beasts has heard of you and vows hemust have you for service in or for the Colosseum. I am likely to lose youeither way. I don't mind your manumission; I'll wager that I can induceyou to stay on as you are. But I am all worked up over the prospect of arequisition for you from the Beast Barracks. If one comes it will be yourfault."
I told him I was more stirred up about it than he was; that I should hateto leave him and loathed the very idea of being cooped up in Rome amidfetid cages; caring for lions and such like. We thoroughly understood eachother, and he said:
"I'll have to manage to report you killed, if the requisition comes. I'mdetermined to keep you. I'll have to set my wits to work to arrange forit."
I hoped he might, but I felt nervous. I dreaded being dragged to Rome andrecalled the prophecy of the Aemilian Sibyl. I had a feeling that to RomeI was going, my situation was too good to last. I thought of leavingSeptima with much regret. Not that I loved her or even cared for her; butshe was a girl no man could but respect and admire and wish well to. If Imust leave her I resolved to leave her as well off as I could.
Making sure that I was far from any human being and unobserved I opened myamulet-bag, looked over the gems it contained, selected a medium-sizedemerald of perfect color, sewed it into the hem of my tunic and sewed upthe amulet-bag with the rest of the gems inside it.
At the first opportunity, I revisited the outlaws' camp, with the usualprecautions, and found Bulla idle and genial. I told him I needed cash,all the cash I could get, and had an emerald I thought would be worth anoble store of gold and silver coin.
"Show it to me!" he commanded.
I took out my sheath-knife, ripped the emerald out of its hiding-place andpassed it to him.
He conn
ed it.
"You are right, brother," he said; "this is a fine gem. I tell you whatI'll do. I'll ride, myself, to Sentinum and exchange this for cash, partgold and part silver. Sentinum seems an unlikely place in which to find acash purchaser for a gem like this, but our King has a friend there whoacts as his agent in several respects; among others he keeps cash in handto exchange any time for precious loot; especially jewelry. He'll hand methe cash without hesitation.
"But if I am to do it for you, you must agree in advance to accept hisvaluation of the jewel and to divide with me, share and share alike,whatever he pays me for your emerald. In a case like this I charge halfthe proceeds of the sale as my commission for making the deal and as myfee for my time, risk and trouble. Do you agree?"
"Certainly," I said, "and I am amazed at your offer. How can you be awaythree days or more at this juncture? Might not your prizes: procurator,propraetor, widow, jewels, coin, and gold all slip through your handsduring your absence in my behalf?"
"No fear, lad!" he laughed; "our advices never deceive us. The procuratorwith his gold is far away and approaching slowly; neither the widow northe propraetor is ready to leave Rome; both are occupied with endlesspreparations. I have plenty of time. And it won't take me any three daysto reach Sentinum and return. I'll set off at sunset. About the third hourtomorrow I'll be at Sentinum, my mount lathered and blown, but far fromused up; about the ninth hour I'll pass out of one of the gates ofSentinum on my return, completely refreshed myself and with my mount fitfor the return journey: I'll be here in camp at dawn day after tomorrow,with the coin bags. You can come for your cash any time after the thirdhour day after tomorrow. Is it a bargain?"
"Done!" said I.
"Then get home," he said. "If I'm to go two nights without sleep I'll giveorders now, post my out-pickets and what not and snooze till dusk."
I spent the next day on my crag. Several trains of wagons with arena-beasts passed, but they were farther apart than ten days before. The othertraffic on the road was normal.
Next day, not long after the third hour, I was in the outlaws' camp. BullaI found awake and with no signs of drowsiness or fatigue. In full sight ofall of his men he spread a blanket, and, on it placed four coin-bags, twosmall and two full size. From the larger he spilt their contents on theblanket and, each of us taking a bag, we picked up the silver one piece ata time, both keeping count together. There was an odd piece.
"It's yours, lad!" said Bulla. "I've enough here."
The gold pieces similarly spilled and counted, came out even.
"Are you satisfied?" Bulla queried.
"Both with the amount and the division," I replied, "and now I'll be off.You must need sleep."
"Sit still!" Bulla commanded.
He rose and went into his tent, for the outlaws had excellent hide tents.He returned with a fine new coin-belt of pigskin leather.
"Here," he said as he squatted down and handed it to me, "is a little giftfrom Bulla. Wear it next your skin. And remember to keep it flat andloose. Many a man has lost his life with his coin in a tight place becausea bulging belt betrayed him to greedy ruffians. My lads will respect you,but you may encounter bandits who have no inkling that you are under myprotection. Don't attempt to carry too much, of your coin about yourwaist."
I thanked him and tramped off.
Andivius Hedulio: Adventures of a Roman Nobleman in the Days of the Empire Page 27