Quickly resolved, he hurried to his tent, adorned himself with the coroneted helmet and the golden sceptre, mounted Boreas, his powerful charger, and galloped through the lines of tents, followed by Teja, who bore the blue banner of Theodoric.
In the middle of the camp they met with a crowd of men, women, and children--for the latter generally accompanied a Gothic army--who, murmuring and threatening, were moving towards the western gate.
Hildebad had sent his soldiers to bar this gate with levelled lances.
"Let us go out," cried the people. "The King has fled, the war is over, all is lost. We will save our lives."
"The King is no coward like thee!" cried Hildebad, pushing back the nearest man.
"Yes, he is a traitor!" cried the latter. "He has forsaken and betrayed us for the sake of a woman's tears."
"Yes," said another, "he has killed three thousand of our brothers and has fled."
"Thou liest!" said a quiet voice. Witichis had turned the corner of a tent.
"Hail, King Witichis!" cried Hildebad. "Do you see him, you rabble? Did I not tell you? But it was high time thou camest--things were getting to a desperate pass."
Just then Hildebrand came galloping up with a few horsemen.