"He whom you just named--Earl Teja! He guessed or learned that Zeuxippos was threatening his centre, that the King was wounded--and, well knowing that he would arrive too late to turn the course of events at Taginæ, he came to a bold and desperate resolution. He suddenly gave up his post of expectation on the hills, threw himself upon our left wing, which was slowly advancing up the hill opposite to him, beat it at the first onset, pursued the fugitives into their camp, and there made prisoners of ten thousand of our men, and all the captains, amongst them my Orestes and Zeuxippos. He sent Gothic heralds to Narses, who took Zeuxippos with them to witness to the truth of what they said, and demanded an immediate truce of twenty-four hours."
"Impossible!"
"Otherwise he swore to slay all his ten thousand prisoners---together with the captains."
"That is no matter," observed Cethegus.
"It may be no matter to you, Roman--what matters to you a myriad of our troops?--but not so to Narses. The terrible surprise, the still more terrible necessity of making a choice, quite prostrated him. A severe attack of his malady came on, and as he sank down, he gave me his commander's staff, and I, of course, accepted the conditions----"
"Of course, Pylades must save Orestes!" said Cethegus in a rage.
"And, besides, ten thousand men of the imperial army!"
"I am not bound by this agreement," cried Cethegus; "I shall again attack."
"You dare not! Teja has taken most of his prisoners and all the captains with him as hostages--he will slay them if another arrow be shot?"
"Let him slay them! I shall attack."