Bevis Part 32

"Scipio, take your men,"--("Cohort," said Antony)--"take your cohort, jump into the road, and go down to the gate there. Keep out of sight-- stoop: slip through the gate, and go up inside the hedge, dart round the corner and seize Ted's camp. Quick! And mind, if they're all there, of course you're not to fight, but come back. Now--quick."

Scipio Cecil jumped into the hollow way followed by his five soldiers, and stooping so as to be hidden by the bank, ran towards the gate in the hazel hedge. They watched him till the cohort had got through the gate.

"Now what shall we do?" said Mark Antony.

"How can I tell what to do when Pompey isn't anywhere?" said Bevis, in a rage.

"Put me up a tree," said Charlie, "perhaps I could see."

"You've no business to speak," said Bevis; but he used the idea, and told two of them to "bunt" (shove) Charlie up one of the ash-trees till he could grasp a branch. Then Charlie, agile as a squirrel, was up in a minute.

"There's no one in their camp," he shouted down. "Cecil's rus.h.i.+ng on it. Pompey, O! I can see him."

"Where?"

"There by the copse," pointing to the left and partly behind them.

"Which way is he going?" asked Bevis.

"That way,"--to the left.

"Our camp," said Mark.

"That's it," said Bevis. "Come down, quick. Turn to the left," (to the army). "No, stop. Charlie, how many are there with Pompey?"

"Six, ten--oh, I can't count: I believe it's all. I can't see any anywhere else."

"Quick!" shouted Bevis, turning his legions to the left. "Quick march!

Run!"

Volume One, Chapter XVI.

THE BATTLE OF PHARSALIA.

They left Charlie to get down how he could, and started at a sharp pace to meet and intercept Pompey. Now, if Pompey had continued his course behind the hedge all the way, he must have got to Caesar's camp first; as Caesar could not crush through the hedge. But when Pompey came to the gate, from which the waggon track issued into the field, he saw that he could make a short cut thence to the gap by Caesar's camp, instead of marching round the irregular curve of the hedge. Caesar, though running fast to meet him, was at that moment pa.s.sing a depression in the ground, and was out of sight. Pompey seized so favourable an opportunity, came through the gate, and ordering "Quick march!" ran towards the gap. When Caesar came up out of the depression he saw Pompey's whole army running with their backs almost turned away from him towards the gap by the camp. They seemed to flee, and Caesar's legions beholding their enemies' backs, raised a shout. Pompey heard, and looking round, saw Caesar charging towards his rear. He halted and faced about, and at the same time saw that his own camp was in Caesar's possession; for there was an eagle at the gate there, and his baggage was being pitched over.

Nothing daunted, Pompey ordered his soldiers to advance, and pushed them with his own hands into line, placing Cra.s.sus and Varro, one at either end.

As he came running, Caesar saw that the whole of Pompey's army was before them, while he had but two-thirds of his, and regretted now that he had so hastily detached Scipio's cohort. But waving his sword, he ran at the head of his men, keeping them in column. They were but a hundred yards apart, when Pompey faced about, and so short a distance was rapidly traversed.

Caesar's sword was the first to descend with a crash upon an enemy's weapon, but Antony was hardly a second later, and before they could lift to strike again, the legion behind, with a shout, pushed them by its impetus right through Pompey's line.

When Caesar Bevis stopped running, and looked round, there was a break in the enemy's army, which was divided into two parts. Bevis instantly made at the part on his left (where Phil Varro commanded), thinking, instinctively, to crush this half with all his soldiers. But as they did not know what his object was, for he had no time even to give an order, only four or five followed him. The rest paused and faced Val Cra.s.sus; and these Ted Pompey and six or seven of his men at once attacked.

Bevis met Phil Varro, and crossed swords with him. Clatter! cras.h.!.+

snap! thump! bang! They slashed and warded: Bevis's shoulder was stung with a sharp blow. He struck back, and his sword sliding down Varro's, broke the cross-piece, and rapped his fingers smartly. Before Varro could hit again, two others, fighting, stumbled across and interrupted the combat.

"Keep together! Keep together!" shouted Phil Varro. "Ted--Pompey, Pompey! Keep together!"

Slas.h.!.+ swis.h.!.+ cras.h.!.+ thump! "Hit him! Now then! He's down! Hurrah!"

Cras.h.!.+ Crack--a sword split and flew in splinters.

"Follow Bevis!" shouted Mark, "Stick to Bevis! Fred! Bill! Quick!"

He had privately arranged with these two, Fred and Bill, who were the biggest on their side, that all three should keep close to Bevis and form a guard. Mark was very shrewd, and he guessed that Ted Pompey, being so much stronger and well-supported with stout soldiers, would make every effort to seize Caesar, who was slightly built, and bind him prisoner. He did not tell Bevis that he had arranged this, for Bevis was a stickler for his imperial authority, and if Mark had told him, would be quite likely to countermand it.

Whirling his sword with terrible fury, Caesar Bevis had cut his way through all between. Slight as he was, the intense energy within him carried him through the ranks. He struck a sword from one; overthrew another rus.h.i.+ng against him; sent a third on his knees, and reaching Phil, hit him on the arm so heavy a blow that, for a moment, he could not use his weapon, but gave way and got behind his men.

"Hurrah!" shouted Mark. "Follow Bevis! Stick to Bevis!"

"Here I am," said Bill, the young giant hitting at Varro.

"So am I," said Fred, the other giant, and slas.h.i.+ng Varro on the side.

Varro turned aside to defend himself, when Mark Antony rushed at and overturned him thump on the sward.

"Hurrah! Down they go!" Such a tremendous shout arose in another direction, that Caesar Bevis, Mark, and the rest, turned fresh from their own victory to see their companions thrashed.

"Over with them!"

Ted Pompey, Val Cra.s.sus, and the other half of the divided line had attacked the remainder of the legion, which paused, and did not follow Caesar. Separated from Bevis, they fought well, and struggled hard to regain him; and, while they could keep their a.s.sailants at sword's-length, maintained the battle. But Varro's shout, "Keep together! Keep together! Pompey! Keep together!" reminded Ted of what Phil Varro had taught him, and, signing to Cra.s.sus and his men to do the same, he crossed his arms, held his head low, and, with Cra.s.sus and the rest, charged, like bulls with eyes closed, disregarding the savage chops and blows he received. The manoeuvre was perfectly successful; their weight sent them right over Caesar's men, who rolled on the ground in all directions.

"There!" said Mark, "what did I tell you?"

"Come on!" shouted Caesar Bevis, and he ran to a.s.sist the fallen. He fell on Cra.s.sus, who chanced to be nearest, with such violence that Val gave way, when Bevis left him to attack Ted. Ted Pompey, nothing loth, lifted his sword and stepped to meet him.

"Bill! Fred!" shouted Mark; and these three, hustling before Caesar Bevis, charged under Pompey's sword, for he could not hit three ways at once; and, thump, he measured his length on the gra.s.s.

"Cords!--Ropes!" shouted Mark. "Bill--the rope. Hold him down, Fred!

O! You awful stupe! O!"

He stood stock-still, mouth agape; for Bevis, pus.h.i.+ng Fred aside as he was going to kneel on Ted as men kneel on a fallen horse's head, seized Ted by the arm and helped him up.

"Three to one's not fair," he said. "Ted, get your sword and fight _Me_."

Ted looked round for his sword, which had rolled a yard or two. At the same moment Varro, having got on his feet again, rushed up and struck Caesar a sharp blow on his left arm. He turned, Varro struck again, but Fred guarded it off on his sword. Three soldiers, with Varro, surrounded Fred and Bevis, and, for the moment, they could do nothing but fence off the blows. Ted Pompey having found his sword, ran to aid Varro, when Mark hit him: he turned to strike at Mark, but a body of soldiers, with George and Tim at their head, rushed by, fighting with others, and bore Mark and Ted before them bodily. In a second all was confusion. On both sides the leaders were separated from their troops, the battle spread out, covering forty yards or more, and twenty individual combats raged at once. All the green declivity was covered with scattered parties, and no one knew which had the better.

"Keep together! Keep together!" shouted Varro, as he struck and rushed to and fro. "I tell you, keep together! Ted! Ted! Pompey! Keep together!"

Swis.h.!.+ slas.h.!.+ clatter! thump!

"Hurrah!"

"He's down!"

"Quick!"

"You've got it!"

"Take that!" Slas.h.!.+ But the slain arose again and renewed the fight.