"Enough of this, man!" expostulated the other. "The jest has gone quite far enough. Make this horrible fellow lower that sword." "Not until I have finished making up my package of little articles," replied Gabinius, "and," suiting the action to the word, "relieved your fingers of the weight of those very heavy rings." "Gabinius," roared Servius, in impotent fury, "what are you doing? Are you a common bandit?" "A bandit, my excellent friend," was his answer, "but not a common one; no ordinary footpad could strip the noble Servius Flaccus without a harder struggle." Servius burst into lamentations. "My box of unguents! My precious rings! My money-bag! You are not leaving me one valuable! Have you sunk as low as this?" "Really," returned the robber, "I have no time to convince you that the brigand's life is the only one worth living. You do not care to join our illustrious brotherhood? No? Well, I must put these trinkets and fat little wallet in my own wagon. I leave you your cloak out of old friendship's sake. Really you must not blame me. Remember Euripides's line:-- "'Money can warp the judgment of a God.' Thus I err in good company. And with this, _vale!_" Flaccus was left with his menials to clamber back into his plundered carriage. Gabinius drove his horse at topmost speed, and before morning was saluted by the remainder of the banditti, near their mountain stronghold. Dumnorix met him with news. "It is rumoured in the country towns that Caesar is driving all before him in the north, and will be down on Rome in less days than I have fingers." Gabinius clapped his hands. "And we will be down on Rome, and away from it, before a legionary shows himself at the gates!" Chapter XVIII How Pompeius Stamped with His Feet I A messenger to the consuls! He had ridden fast and furious, his horse was flecked with foam and straining on his last burst of speed. On over the Mulvian Bridge he thundered; on across the Campus Martius; on to the Porta Ratumena--with all the hucksters and street rabble howling and chasing at his heels. "News! News for the consuls!" "What news?" howled old Laeca, who was never backward in a street press. "Terrible!" shouted the messenger, drawing rein, "Caesar is sweeping all before him! All Thermus's troops have deserted him at Iguvium. Attius Varus has evacuated Auximum, and his troops too have dispersed, or joined Caesar. All the towns are declaring for the enemy. _Vah!_ He will be here in a few days at most! I am the last of the relay with the news. I have hardly breathed from Eretum!"