Beric the Briton

nt in pursuit. They knew that the legionaries once in open ground were more t

slow when they had frost to aid them, what chance would they have when there was scarce a foot of land that could bear their weight? The winter passed, indeed, without any further movement. The Britons suffered to some extent fro

the swamps. A number of large boats had been built during the winter, as Beric and Aska were convinced that the next attack would be m

main river, they were assailed with a storm of javelins from the bushes, and the Romans, when they attempted to land, found their movements impeded by the deep swamp in which they often sank up to the waist, while their foes in their swamp pattens traversed them easily, and inflicted heavy losses upon them, driving them back into their

. The Fenmen had joined the Iceni in repelling the attack. The portion of the swamp they inhabited was not far away, and they felt that they too were threatened by the Roman advance. They had therefore rejoined the Iceni, although for some time they had kept themselves aloof from them, owing to quarrels that had arisen because, as they asserted,

that in time we shall become their masters. Should they turn against us they coul

ho was present, said, "we had bette

hey do through the marshes, would be sure to make their escape, and these would bring the Romans down upon us. Even did we slay all this tribe here, the Fenmen in the north would seek to avenge their kinsmen, and would invite the Romans to their aid. No, we must speak the Fenmen fair, a

le for them to advance, and progress could only be made by binding the bush into bundles and forming roads as they went on. From their kinsmen in the northwest, Beric learned that a new propraetor had arrived to replace Suetonius, for it was reported that the wholesale severity of the latter was greatly disapproved of in Rome, so that his successor had come out with orders to pursue a milder policy, and to des

ska?" Beric asked whe

e said so. However, I sincerely trust that it is true, even if we are not included, and are to be hunted down like wild beasts. Rome cannot wish to conquer a desert, and you have told me she generally treats the natives of conquered provinces well after all resistance has ceased. It may well be that the Romans disapprove of the harshness of Suetonius, although the rising was not due to him so much as to the villain Decianus. Still he was harsh in the extreme, and his massacre of the Druids enlisted every Briton against him. Other measures may now be tried; the ground must be cultiv

ered with wounds, breathless and exhausted, made his

s to Beric's hut. Springing from his couch Beric sounded his horn, and the band, who

s your news?" Beric

d, and we stood at the edge of the bank listening, when suddenly from behind us sprang out a dozen men, and before we had time to draw a sword we were cut down. They hewed at us till they thought us dead, and for a time I knew nothing more. When

I gained upon them. When I could hear their oars ahead I turned off by a cross channel so as to strike another leading direct hither. What was my horror when I reached it to see another flotilla of Roman boats passing along. Then I gue

e island. The Romans were already near. I tried each avenue by which our boats approached, but all were held by them. But at last I made my way throu

ear, in time to save us, but it will enable us a

sent out singly, but they found the Romans everywhere. They had formed a complete circle round the island, all the channels being occupied by

sent out had returned with a similar tale. "They must fight under the disadvantage of

by the Romans, and Beric and Aska agreed that most likely the g

said, "and they must be sure that, hemmed

hat the boats had returned with reinforcements. There were three points where boats could come up to the shore of the island. Aska, Boduoc, and another chief, each with a hundred men, took their posts in the intrenchments there, while Beric, with a hundred of the Sarci, remained in the great intrenchment on the summit, in readiness to bear down upon any point where aid was

other fifty rained arrows and javelins upon them; and whenever they succeeded in getting up to the palisade through the circle of the spears, threw down their bows and opposed

in the fray. He himself paced round and round the intrenchment, occupied less with the three desperate fights going on below than with the edge of the bushes between those points. He knew that the morasses were so deep that even

. It was just noon when a Roman trumpet sounded, and at once at six different points a line of Roman soldiers issued from the bushes. Beric raised his horn to his lips and blew the signal for retreat. At its sound the defender

a said bitterly, as he joined Beric. "They woul

n the Happy Island in the far west. We need not be ashamed to meet them. They will welcome us as men who have struggled to the

ide them armed with hatchets, clubs, and knives. The struggle was for a long time uncertain, so desperately did the defenders fight; and it was not until suffering the loss of a third of their number, from the missiles and weapons of the British, that the Romans at last broke through the intrenchment. Even then the British fought to the last. No

already fallen, pierced by a Roman javelin; but Boduoc and a small body of the Sarci had rallied round Beric, and had for a time beaten off the assaults of the Romans. But soon they were reduced to half t

rs bravery, and that your lives will

s mercy," Beric said, "and will

mpanions were struck to the ground by the discharge of the wooden missiles or knocked down by the poles. Then the Romans threw themselves upon them and bound them hand and foot, the camp was plundered, fire applied to the huts, and the palisades beaten down. Then the captives were carried down to the boats, and the

should have been preserved when their comrades had all been killed and the women and children massacred, was to them a terrible misfortune. They considered that th

ght, he saw no disgrace in it. He wondered why he and his companions had been spared. It might be that they were to be put to death publicly, as a warning to their countrymen; but he thought it more likely that Suetonius had preserved them to carry them back to Rome as a proof that he had, before giving up the command, crushed out the last resistance of

, and refused to surrender. It is a shameful tyranny thus to disgrace us by making us captives. I would not have refused death to my most ha

on of fierce assent fr

pon us, but simply as trophies of their own valour; just as they would take a standard. We may deem ourselves aggrieved because we have not, like the rest, died fighting to the last, and so departed for the Happy Island; but it is the will of the gods that we should not make the journey for a time. It is really an honour to us that they have deemed us worthy of the trouble of capture, instead of slayin

ains of death or servitude by flying from life. Let us preserve a front haughty and unabashed. We have inflicted heavy defeats upon Rome, and are proud of it. Let them see that the chains on our bodies have not bound our spi

heard, when he fell into their hands, and no one can say that Caractacus was dishonoured. No man can control h

d then the Roman sergeant of the guard, uneasy at this ani

st sleep, if we can," he added.

arefully attended to by a leech. Then water and food were offered to them, and of these, following Beric's example, they partook heartily. An ho

to do to us, think yo

ght be taking us to public execution; but as he has, as we have heard, been ordered home, he would not, I think, have troubled himself to have made us prisoners simply that his successor might benefit by

l they do wit

does not return home in triumph. After a triumph the chief of the captives is always put to death, sacrificed to their gods. But as this will be no triumph, we shall, I should say, be treated as ordinary prisoners of war. Some of these are sold as slaves; some are

duoc said, "to be a private or public slave, or

the one I should choose; but it must be terrible to have to f

you he is doing you a service; if you kill him, you have greatly obliged him. So, looking at it in that way, it does not

any rate I shall be glad to see Rome. I have always wished to do so, though I never thought that it would be as a captive. Still, it will be s

h their families and attendants, officers engaged in the civil service and the army, friends and associates of the procurator, who had been sent out to succeed Catus Decianus, priests and servants of the temples. Suetonius had already sent to inform

ere surprised when they learned that the youth--for Beric was as yet but eighteen--who walked at their head was the noted chief, who had during the past year inflicted such heavy losses upon the troops of Rome, and who had now only been captured by treachery. As yet he lacked some inches of the height of his compa

said. "It will make my task all the easier in carr

mand of my troops until I had revenged the losses we have suffered at the hands of these barbarians. It is, of course, for you to deci

ct of severity; besides, I hope through them to persuade the others--for, as you told me in your letter, it is but a fraction of these outlaws that you have subdued

to Rome after our defeat of the Britons. I made inquiries about him, when I learned that he was chief of the insurgent

ing the group of captives; "it is an honour to conqu

for my departure for the last two weeks, and I would fain sail tomorrow or next day. Glad I sh

s but half conquered when you landed, it is wholly subdued n

eplied angrily. "Look at those men, they bear themsel

d, Suetonius; if we could mate all our Roman women w

w them pouring down on you shouting l

" he said to one of his officers, "take charge of the captives until Suetonius sails. Guard them strongly, but treat them well. Place them in the house, where they wil

ade him bring up his company. These on their arrival surrounded the captives an

ll all be released from your bonds if you will

ctly for that. It were better that we should remain bound by our own promise than by fetters." As they all consented, Beric, in their name, took an oath that they

ficer came in and requested Beric

eric said. "I would not say aught to the Roma

d him to the house of the propraetor. Petronius was seated with Suetoniu

speak our language and have lived for years amongst us,

d worse than the beasts of the field; our lives, our properties, and the honour of our women were sacrificed at his will. Death was a thousand times better than such treatment. I read that Rome has elsewhere been a worthy conqueror, respecting the religion of the tribes it subdued, and treating them leniently and well. Had we been so treated we should have b

dness with which the young capt

ce for herself and her insulted daughters, he ordered her to be scourged? Should we, a free born people, submit to such an indignity to our queen? I knew from the first that our enterprise was hopel

arms and have resisted our power, but I trust that with your capture this will end. You and your companions will go to Rome with Suetonius; but there are many of your followers still in arms, with these I would treat, not as a conqueror with the conquered, but as a soldier with brave foes. If they will lay down their arms they shall share the amnesty, and be free to return every man

bles would have arisen, and she might now be ruling

many of your trib

ll not be lost upon them. There will be no traitors to guide your next expedition; by this time the last F

etronius said. "Upon what terms, think

ns and return to their villages shall live unmolested, save that they shall--when their homes are rebuilt and their herds again grazing around them--pay a tribute suc

have come to bring peace to the land. I am ready to do all in my

ll send them with my bracelet to the Fens. I will tell them what you have said, and they will testify to having seen you swear before your gods; and I will send my last injunctions to them to return again

are assuredly some among them who could ill support the fatigues of the journey. Return now to your friends,