A Struggle For Rome Volume Ii Part 49

At this the last lines of the Armenians, carrying Bessas away with them, fled in terror. Belisarius's vanguard was annihilated.

With loud cries of joy King Witichis and his followers had witnessed Totila's victory.

"Look! now the Hunnish hors.e.m.e.n, who stand just below us, advance against Totila," said the King to the old standard-bearer. "Totila turns to meet them. They are much more numerous. Up, Hildebad! Hasten down the road to his aid."

"Ha!" cried old Hildebrand, bending forward in his saddle, and looking over the edge of the rocks, "who is that tribune between the two body-guards of Belisarius?"

Witichis bent forward also.

"Calpurnius!" he exclaimed with a sharp cry.

And suddenly, seeking no path, just from where he stood, the King galloped down the hill towards his deadly enemy. The fear that Calpurnius might escape him overpowered every other thought.

As if on wings, as if the G.o.d of Revenge were guiding him over bush and crevice and ditch and pointed rock, the King galloped madly on.

For an instant the old master-at-arms was horrified; such a ride he had never beheld. But the next moment he waved his blue flag and cried:

"Forward! follow your King!"

And, the hors.e.m.e.n first, the foot after, the centre o the Gothic army, leaping, jumping, and sliding down upon their shields, suddenly descended the steep side of the hill upon the Hunnish cavalry.

Calpurnius had looked up. It had seemed to him as if he heard his name, and the cry sounded like the last trump of judgment.

He turned, and would have fled.

But the grim soldiers on his right and left caught his bridle.

"Halt, tribune!" said Antallas, pointing to Totila's hors.e.m.e.n--"_there_ is the enemy!"

A cry of pain to the left caused him and Calpurnius to turn. The Hun Kuturgur, the second of the body-guards, sank with a crash from his saddle, felled by the sword-stroke of a Goth who appeared to have dropped from the sky. And behind this Goth, the rocky steep, which yet seemed inaccessible, was filled with climbing and leaping men, and the Huns were suddenly taken in the flank by this enemy from above, while at the same time they were attacked in front by Totila.

Calpurnius recognised the Goth.

"Witichis!" he cried in terror, and his arm fell powerless at his side.

But his horse saved him. Wounded and startled by the fall of Kuturgur, it galloped wildly away. Antallas threw himself furiously upon the King of the Goths, who was far in advance of his men.

"Down, madman!" he cried.

But the next moment he was slain by Witichis, who irresistibly, trampled down all those who stood in his path.

Through the crowd of Hunnish cavalry, who, terrified at his look, yielded to right and left, Witichis pursued Calpurnius.

The latter had recovered the mastery of his horse, and now sought protection in the thickest press of his soldiers.

In vain.

Witichis did not lose sight of him for a moment, but followed him closely.

However he might hide himself among his men, however rapidly he rode, Calpurnius could not escape the King, who beat down all who stood between him and the murderer of his son.

Group after group, knot after knot, dissolved before the terrible sword of the revengeful father. The lines of the Huns were broken through by the fugitive and his pursuer. They were not able to close again, for, even before Totila could come up, the old standard-bearer, with horse and foot, had broken their right flank, dividing it into two parts.

When Totila galloped up, he found only flying foes. The portion to the right was soon taken between Totila and Hildebrand, and destroyed. The greater part on the left fled back to Belisarius.

Meantime Calpurnius galloped over the field as if pursued by the Furies.

He had a good start, for Witichis had been seven times obliged to hew his way through the enemy.

But Boreas galloped bravely on, and carried Witichis ever nearer to his victim.

The fugitive heard the call to stand and fight. He only spurred his horse the faster.

All at once it fell beneath him, and before he could rise, Witichis stood over him.

Springing from his saddle, Witichis now silently pushed the sword of the fallen man, which had dropped from the latter's hand, towards him.

Then Calpurnius took courage--the courage of despair.

He rose to his feet, took up his sword, and sprang at the Goth with a leap like that of a tiger.

But in the middle of his leap he fell p.r.o.ne to the ground; the sword of Witichis had split his forehead open.

The King set his foot upon the breast of the corpse, and looked into the distorted face. He sighed deeply.

"Revenge is sweet, but it will not bring back my child!"

With deep ire Belisarius had witnessed this unhappy commencement of the battle. But his confidence and composure did not abandon him, even when he saw the Armenians swept away, and the hors.e.m.e.n of Calpurnius overthrown and scattered.

He was now convinced of the strength and superiority of the enemy. But he determined to advance upon his whole line, leaving a gap in which to receive his fugitive hors.e.m.e.n.

But this the Goths were quick to perceive; and, Witichis foremost, they followed Totila and Hildebrand--who had annihilated the surrounded Huns--and pressed forward so furiously that they threatened to reach and break through the lines of Belisarius at the same moment with the fugitives.

This could not be permitted.

Belisarius himself filled the gap with his bodyguard on foot, and shouted to the fugitive hors.e.m.e.n to halt and turn.

But it seemed as if the terror which had possessed their cowardly and fallen leader had entered their hearts. They dreaded the sword of the Gothic King behind them even more than their thundering chief before them, and without pause or stay they rushed on at a gallop, as if they intended to ride down their own comrades.

For one moment a fearful shock--a thousand-voiced cry of fear and rage--a confused turmoil of mingled horse and foot--among them slaughtering Goths--and suddenly a dispersal to all sides, amid shrill cries of victory from the enemy.

The body-guard of Belisarius was ridden down; his main line of battle broken.

He ordered the retreat to the camp.

But it was no longer a retreat, it was a rout. The footmen of Hildebad, Guntharis, and Teja had now arrived upon the field of battle. The Byzantines saw their order of attack broken, they despaired of further resistance and fled in great confusion to the camp.

Notwithstanding, they would still have been able to reach it a long time before their pursuers, had not an unforeseen occurrence stopped the way.