A Struggle For Rome Volume Ii Part 62

The King was the first in the court.

There, it is true, the progress of the Goths was for a time arrested.

For Quintus Piso and Kallistratos stood on the ramparts of the inner wall, with a hundred legionaries and a few Isaurians. They had hastened thither from the Pancratian Gate. They hurled a thick hail of spears and arrows at the Goths as they descended singly into the court. Their catapults were also not without effect.

"Send for a.s.sistance to Cethegus!" cried Piso, on the wall; and Kallistratos immediately rushed away.

Below in the court the Goths fell right and left at the side of Witichis.

"What shall we do?" asked Markja.

"Wait until they have exhausted their projectiles. It cannot last much longer. They shoot and hurl too hastily in their fright. Do you see?

Already more stones are flying than arrows, and there are no more spears."

"But their balistas?"

"They will presently be able to hurt us no longer. Prepare to storm!

See, the hail is much thinner; now be ready with the ladders and axes.

Follow me quickly!"

And the Goths ran at a quick step across the court. Very few fell. The greater part reached the second and inner wall in safety, and a hundred ladders were raised.

And now all Procopius's balistas and machines were useless; for being directed for a wide range, they could not be placed in a perpendicular direction without great trouble and loss of time.

Piso observed this, and turned pale.

"Spears! spears! or all is lost!"

"They are all cast away," panted fat Balbus, who stood near him, with a look of despair.

"Then all is lost!" sighed Piso, letting fall his wearied arms.

"Come, Ma.s.surius, let us save ourselves," cried Balbus.

"No, let us stand and die," cried Piso.

Over the edge of the wall appeared the first Gothic helmet.

All at once a cry was heard upon the steps leading on to the wall citywards.

"Cethegus! Cethegus the Prefect!"

And he it was. He sprang upon the ramparts, and attacking the Goth, who had just laid his hand upon the breastwork before swinging himself over, he cut off hand and arm. The man screamed and fell.

"Oh, Cethegus!" cried Piso; "you come in the very nick of time!"

"I hope so," said Cethegus, and overturned the ladder which was raised against the wall just in front of him.

Witichis had mounted it--he sprang down with agility.

"But I must have projectiles; spears, lances! else we can do nothing!"

cried Cethegus.

"There is nothing left," answered Balbus; "we hoped that you would come with your Isaurians."

"They are still far, far behind me!" cried Kallistratos, who was the first to arrive after Cethegus.

And the number of ladders and the rising helmets increased. Ruin was imminent. Cethegus looked wildly round.

"Projectiles," he cried, stamping his foot; "we must have them!"

At that moment his eye fell upon a gigantic marble statue of Jupiter, which stood upon the ramparts to his left hand. A thought flashed across him. He sprang up, and with his axe struck off the right arm of the statue, together with the thunderbolt it held.

"Jupiter!" he cried, "lend me thy lightnings! Why dost thou hold them so idly? Up, my men! shatter the statues and hurl them at the enemy!"

Before he could finish his sentence, his example was followed.

The hard-pressed defenders fell upon the G.o.ds and heroes with hammers and axes, and in a moment the lovely forms were shattered.

It was a frightful sight. There lay a grand Hadrian, an equestrian statue, man and horse split in two; there a laughing Aphrodite fell upon its knees; there the beautiful head of an Antinous fell from the trunk, and hurled by two hands, fell crashing upon a Gothic shield of buffalo-hide. And far and wide upon the ramparts fell fragments and pieces of marble and bronze, of iron and gold.

Down from the ramparts, thundering and crashing, fell the mighty weight of metal and stone, and shattered the helms and shields, the armour and limbs of the attacking Goths, and the ladders which bore them.

Cethegus looked with horror at the work of destruction which his words had called into action.

But it had saved them.

Twelve, fifteen, twenty ladders stood empty, although a moment before they had swarmed with men like ants; just as many lay broken at the foot of the wall.

Surprised by this unexpected hail of bronze and marble, the Goths fell back for a s.p.a.ce.

But presently Markja's horn called them to the attack. And again the tons of marble thundered through the air.

"Unhappy man, what have you done?" cried Kallistratos, full of grief, and staring at the ruin.

"What was necessary!" cried Cethegus, and hurled the trunk of the Jupiter-statue over the wall. "Did you see it strike? two barbarians at one blow." And he looked down with great content.

At that moment he heard the Corinthian cry:

"No, no; not this one. Not the Apollo!"

Cethegus turned and saw a gigantic Isaurian raising his axe over the head of the statue.

"Fool, shall the Goths come up?" asked the mercenary, and raised his arm again.

"Not my Apollo!" repeated the Greek, and embraced the statue with both arms, protecting it with his body.

Earl Markja saw this movement from his stand upon the nearest ladder, and believing that Kallistratos was about to hurl the statue at him, he cast his spear and hit the Greek in the breast.