CHAPTER XXXI.
Adalo had retraced the road to the Holy Mountain with a heavy heart,and with deep pain he made his report in the Duke's tent at daybreak.
"I have gained nothing," were his closing words, "seen nothing of thecamp, and not a sign of--of her. What is to be done?"
"Wait," replied the Duke, stroking his long beard and half closing hiseye.
"Wait! it is easy for you to say that."
"Harder than for you, who still have thrice as many years before you asI."
"But Bissula! Surely I have told you that she does not belong to theold man, her friend. When will you lead us to the assault?"
"When it is time."
"When will it at last be time?"
"Not before the moon has vanished from the sky."
"Have the wise women read that to you in the runes of destiny?" askedAdalo wrathfully.
"I do not consult old women, when I am to fight; but neither will Irisk the victory for young ones. The moon must not shine; the nightmust be dark. And another thing: the torrents of rain were a greathelp, they kept the Romans in their camp, shut them out of the marshesand forests. But now everything must get dry again, that it may burnmerrily. The god of wishes has already sent the right wind. Only havepatience a short time. Something else, too, must first beaccomplished."
"Then at least let me try to inform her by a secret messenger how shecan surely escape."
"No, by my wrath! Before we storm, I will show you why it is impossiblefor her to escape by the way of which you are thinking. It would leadher into the very midst of the guards outside the camp and betrayeverything to them. But, did you not meet Zercho on the way back?"
"No; but my companions told me. So you sent him?"
"Sent him? No; he went without my orders. But hark--voices--there heis, and some one with him."
Zercho and Sippilo came hurrying into the tent. The young noble wasamazed to see his fair-haired brother in such a disguise.
"Boy, what have you dared to do? You went with him as a spy?" he criedwrathfully. "How you look!"
"Like an elf of darkness; but the soot rubs off easily. See!" Laughingmerrily, he threw his arms around Adalo's neck and pressed his curlyblack head against his brother's cheek.
"Don't scold him until you know all--if you can do it then," pleadedZercho.
"Make your report," the Duke commanded.
"My lord, much--almost all is well! Yet not everything. Unfortunately Icould not get into the camp. But Bruna did," he added, grinning, as heturned to Adalo, "and she'll find the little mistress."
"Can the she-bear fly out again and bring us information about thecamp?" said Hariowald angrily.
"Not she, but perhaps this paper can," replied Sippilo, laughing, as hedrew a roll of papyrus from his breast. "While Zercho and Bruna weremaking the sentries laugh and stare, I succeeded, unnoticed, inreaching the ditch, slipped down, and climbed part way up the wall onthe opposite side, I dared not risk going to the top, some one wouldhave seen me there. I'm as slender and supple as an eel. Part of theearth in the wall had been washed away by the rain between thepalisades in many places; I squeezed into one and got my head and onearm through, but could go no farther, my shoulders were too broad.Then for a while I was very uncomfortable; I couldn't move forwardand did not want to go back without having seen something; besides,the cramping hurt. Suddenly I heard voices, footsteps, and sawhurrying toward me along the inner path of the camp, close to thewall--Bissula."
Adalo uttered a cry of joy, and the Duke, too, looked at the bold ladwith surprise and pleasure.
"Several paces behind her a fat, very fat man came waddling along. Shedidn't see me, for she was looking straight in front of her, and herface was not merry as usual, but very sorrowful. I risked the chancethat the panting fellow would hear me. But I didn't trust myself tocall with a human voice; I began the warbling notes of the chaffinch.Often and often we had practised together to try which could imitate itthe more closely; but I did better and lured the little male bird in afit of furious jealousy to my hiding-place among the leaves. Bissulastarted, looked toward the gap in the palisades where the bird--so latein the season--was singing, saw and instantly recognized me; she couldprobably see only my eyes, not my disfiguring sooty hair. Stooping asif to look for the finch, she whispered: 'Save me quickly.'"
An expression of delight flashed over Adalo's handsome face. "She doesnot love him; she wants to return!" his heart cried exultingly. Sippilonoticed it and guessed the cause of his joy. His young face grew verygrave as he went on: "But alas, she added: 'Terrible danger, thegreatest, threatens me!'"
Adalo groaned and clutched the nearest tent pole to support himself:his brain was reeling.
"Go on," said the Duke.
"She could say no more, for the fat man was now close behind her: I sawsome long yellowish-white thing sticking out of the front of hismantle.
"'This is unbearable!' she cried furiously, turning upon him. 'Are youmy shadow, slave? Why do you follow at my heels? Leave me!'
"'By command of my lord the Tribune.'
"'Indeed?' she cried, half mischievously, half angrily. 'Then--bycommand of your lord, the Tribune, you shall run and sweat well. Canyou catch the roe of the lake forest?'
"And she darted off as swiftly as the merlin shoots down the mountainstream. The fat man, panting and swearing, followed. At the end of theroad along the wall she turned, glided nimbly past the breathlessslave, and again ran toward me: she probably wanted to tell mesomething, but I understood only the one word, 'hasten!'
"Then she was gone; for her companion, pursuing her, now approached me.When directly opposite he raised his cloak, which was hanging aroundhis legs, and the yellowish-white thing dropped from his breast. Hepuffed along, and it rolled close to the two posts in the sides of myhole. I hastily snatched it. I wanted to wait for Bissula to passagain, but I saw several splendidly armed Romans stop her, and all wentinto the inner camp. Then I drew myself backward from between the posts(it wasn't easy; a little skin and hair were left sticking there inremembrance of Sippilo), slid down the wall, climbed the other side ofthe ditch, entered the bushes, crept back to my former place, and camejust as Zercho gave the she-bear to the guards and left the camp."