"No; but they can swim. Up! take three hundred yourself, and give me three hundred. Two roads lead right and left from the little town over--no! they have broken down the bridges--they lead _through_ the Clasius and the Sibola--let us take these roads. The wounded King is certainly--can he still fight?" "Hardly." "Then he has fled beyond Taginæ--to Rome or--" "No; to his bride!" cried Furius. "Most certainly to Valeria in the cloister. Ha! I will stab him in her very arms! Up, Persians! follow me. Thanks, Prefect! Take as many horsemen as you like. And ride to the right--I will ride to the left round the town; for both roads lead to the cloister." And, wheeling to the left, he disappeared. Cethegus ordered the rest of the horsemen to follow him, speaking in the Persian language. Then he rode up to Liberius and said: "I will take the Gothic King prisoner." "What? He still lives? Then make haste!" "Meanwhile you can take this Taginæ," continued Cethegus; "I will leave you my Isaurians." And he galloped away with Syphax and three hundred Persians. Meantime the wounded King had been taken by his friends out of Taginæ into a little pine-wood near the road, where he drank from a spring and gradually revived. "Julius," he said, "ride on to Valeria; tell her that the battle is lost, but not the kingdom. That I am alive and still hope. As soon as I feel a little stronger I shall ride up to the Spes Bonorum. I ordered Teja and Hildebrand there when they had finished their tasks. It is a high and safe position. Go, I beg thee; comfort Valeria and take her also from the cloister to Spes Bonorum. Thou wilt not? Then I must myself ride up the difficult road--surely thou wilt spare me that?" Julius was reluctant to leave the wounded man. "Oh, relieve me from my helmet and mantle! they are so heavy," said Totila. Julius took them from him and gave him his own mantle. CHAPTER XIX. All at once a thought flashed across the mind of the monk; had they not once before exchanged garments--the Dioscuri? Had he not once before drawn the murderous steel directed at Totila's heart upon himself? He thought they were followed. It seemed to him that he heard horses approaching, and Aligern--Adalgoth held the King's head upon his knees--had hastened to the edge of the wood to look. "Yes, it is they," he cried as he returned; "Persian horsemen are riding up from both sides of the wood!" "Then make haste, Julius," begged Totila; "save Valeria! Take her to Teja at the sarcophagus." "I will make all speed, my friend! Farewell till we meet again!" And Julius once more pressed Totila's hand. Then he mounted Pluto--he chose the wounded horse, leaving his own, which was unhurt. Unseen by Totila, he set the helmet with its silver swan upon his head, folded the white mantle around him, and galloped out of the wood towards the cloister hill.