Boys -- Juvenile fiction; England -- Juvenile fiction
“What’s the use?” said Scipio. “You may just as well--the battle’s won,
and it’s no use your fighting.”
“Where’s Pompey?” asked Val Crassus.
“Run away,” said Mark promptly.
“Then where’s Bevis?”
“After him of course,” said Mark.
“I don’t believe it; did any one see Pompey run? Phil, did you?”--to
the prisoner.
“Don’t know,” said Varro, sullenly. “Don’t care. If he had done as I
said he would have won. Yes, I saw him leave the fight.”
“Now will you give in?” said Mark. “Or must we chop you till you do.”
“Chop away,” said Val defiantly.
“Don’t hit him,” said Scipio. “Val, really it’s no good, you’ve lost
the battle.”
“I suppose we have,” said Val. “Well, let some one take Varro on the
hill, and let him tell me if he can see Pompey anywhere.”
They did so. Cecil and three others as guards took Varro on the rising
ground; Varro was obliged to own that Pompey was not in sight.
“Take it then,” said Crassus, hurling his sword at them. “Well, I never
thought Ted would have run. If he had not, I would not have given in
for fifty of you.”
“But he did run,” said Mark, unable to suppress his joy.
“You won’t tie me,” said Crassus, as they let him out. Mark did not tie
him, and then as they were now ten to one they loosened Varro too. Mark
led them up on the higher ground towards the sycamores, fully expecting
to see Bevis every moment. When he got there, and could not see him
anywhere, he could not understand it. Then Crassus told him of the
search he had made. Mark went to the quarry and looked down--no one was
there. He halted while two of his men ran through the firs shouting,
but of course came back unsuccessful.
“I know,” said Scipio, “he’s gone to the camp.”
“Of course,” said Mark. “How stupid of us--of course he’s at the camp.
Let him see us come properly. Two and two, now--prisoners two and two
half-way down, that’s it. Eagles in front. Right. March.”
He marched, with Scipio beside him, the four eagles behind, and the
prisoners in the centre. Never was there a prouder general than Mark at
that moment. He had captured both the enemy’s eagles, recovered his
own, and taken Pompey’s lieutenants captive. Pompey himself and all his
soldiers had fled: looking round the Plain there was not one in sight.
Mark Antony was in sole possession of the battlefield. Proudly he
marched, passing every now and then broken swords on the ground, and
noticing the trampled grass where fierce combats had occurred. How
delighted Bevis would be to see him! How he looked forward to Bevis’s
triumph! All his heart was full of Bevis, it was not his own success,
it was Bevis’s victory that he rejoiced in.
“Bevis! Bevis!” he shouted, as they came near the camp, but there was
no answer. When they entered the camp, and found the fire still
smouldering, but no Bevis, Mark’s face became troubled. The triumph
faded away, he grew anxious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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