‘What, into my camp too,’ he is said to have cried indignantly as he heard the clash of arms and shouts of victory drawing nearer and nearer. Then swiftly laying aside his military dress, the defeated general slipped into a simple garment, and hurrying from the tent, mounted a horse, and with a few followers fled toward the coast. It was useless for him to think of meeting Cæsar again, for his army was slain or scattered. So he resolved to seek shelter in Egypt. It was a sad voyage on which Pompey embarked, for he had been overthrown, and that by his rival, who would reign supreme. As the ship drew near to land, Pompey sent a messenger to Alexandria to beg for shelter. The king, Ptolemy XII., was only a boy of thirteen, but the royal council, when it heard Pompey’s request, proved cruel. It neither welcomed him nor sent him elsewhere to seek for safety. At first some of the members spoke on his behalf, but in the end they all agreed that he must die. But they did not tell him their decision, they merely sent a boat to bring him to shore. In the boat was Septimius, a military tribune of Rome, who had once served in Pompey’s army. As Pompey prepared to step into the boat his wife clung to him, and filled with foreboding would hardly let him go. But he bade her and his followers farewell, and seated himself in the stern of the boat. As he did so he noticed Septimius and spoke kindly to him. But Septimius had no answer to give to his former general. He had been unjustly degraded by him in former days as he believed, and he still owed him a grudge. In response to Pompey’s words, he only nodded sullenly and with averted face. Did a swift dread of what lay before him flash across Pompey’s mind as he heard the Roman’s gruff response to his greeting. He had at least no time to brood over the future, for, now they had reached the shore, and as Pompey stepped out of the boat, Septimius, who was behind him, drew his sword. As Pompey felt the touch of the steel he swiftly drew his toga across his face, and then, without a cry for help, he fell to the ground. When Cæsar reached Egypt ten days later, he was shown the head of his rival and his signet ring. From the first sight he turned away in horror, while, when he saw the ring, he wept. CHAPTER CXIII CATO DIES RATHER THAN YIELD TO CÆSAR Cæsar found that a civil war was raging in Egypt, between the followers of the boy king and his sister Cleopatra. So the Roman general sent for the brother and sister, and said that he would settle their dispute. Cleopatra was beautiful and charming, and this may have helped Cæsar to decide that she should reign along with her brother, Ptolemy. The brother and sister might have been content with this arrangement, but the king’s minister was dissatisfied, and he persuaded the army to side with him, and to besiege Cæsar in Alexandria.