“If we walk, Serge,” he said, “we shall not get there till after dark.”
“And then have a lot of trouble about going up to the camp,” said Serge—“perhaps get a spear in one’s ribs; but I wouldn’t hurry. Besides, we don’t know whether the country’s clear between us and them.”
It was a glorious evening, and for the first time the land with its forest and verdant hills looked beautiful to Marcus by comparison with the rugged barren mountains they had traversed, and whose peaks lowered up stern and forbidding in the distance, as they glanced back from time to time.
A sharp look-out was kept, as whenever the trees were not too close the adventurers made cautious observations of the surrounding country, but nothing suggestive of the enemy was seen, the broad track made by the advancing Roman army marked their way, descending gradually from the edge of the forest into one of the valleys beyond which extended the range of verdant hills. Upon the special one that they had marked down they had a clear view of the busy soldiery passing to and fro and looking diminutive in the extreme, before the track led farther into the woody valley and the hills were completely shut out.
The distance proved greater than they had expected, but there was their guide wandering here and there up ascents or down into the depths of the valley along which meandered a lovely little river whose moist meadow-like sides were sadly trampled and cut up. Still there was no sign of danger, and the river bank was followed for some distance.
“But those hills are on the other side, Serge,” said Marcus after a time.
“Yes, and before long we shall come upon a shallow place that has been forded. They’ll have picked out a spot where the chariots could easily pass, and what would do for them will do nicely for us, boy. So keep on, and hold your eyes open, for where the Roman soldiers are, the enemy’s men will be pretty near at hand.”
Soon after, the track followed a bend of the river, going nearer and nearer, and then all at once struck straight for the bright flowing water, ending at the trampled down bank, and reappearing plainly enough on the farther side.
“Not above a foot deep,” grunted Serge; and he proved to be right, the water never once coming up to the chariot’s axle trees, while the ponies’ hoofs just splashed in the barely covered gravel as they passed out on to the springy grass on the farther side, where the track was more plain than ever.
“Shall we get there before dark, Serge?” said Marcus, after a time.