The warrior threw his jar towards Cato and turned to sprint away, screaming out as he ran. He had sufficient head start that Cato knew it was futile to go after him.

‘Shit!’ he breathed.

‘Now what?’ Figulus muttered. ‘We fight our way out?’

‘No chance,’ said Metellus. ‘They’ll be all over us any moment.’

Cato turned to his men. ‘We split up. Go like hell, and no heroics, whatever you see or hear. Someone has to warn Maximius. Metellus, take your friends that way. Figulus and the others will come with me. Best of luck.’

Cato made a quick salute to Metellus and the four men who stood with him and then turned and ran, crouching low, towards the southern side of the enemy camp. Already the sounds of revelry had died away and now the faint clatter of equipment and urgent shouts revealed that the enemy were alerted.

Metellus shouted from the direction of the pen,’They’re on to us! Let’s go lads, this way!’

As Cato ran in the opposite direction, weaving between the huts, he heard the cries of Metellus and his men become more distant and then drowned out by the shouts of the warriors who hunted them down. The narrow ways that twisted between the huts soon disorientated Cato and he had to stop a moment to try to get his bearings, while Figulus and the others glanced round anxiously.

‘Where’s Lucius?’ someone whispered. ‘And Severus? They were behind me just now.’

A figure rose up and took a pace back the way they had come.

‘Stay where you are!’ Cato hissed.’They’ll have to take their own chances now. Like Metellus and the others.’

‘But, sir-’

‘Quiet man!’ Cato glanced round at the huts, then up at the pattern of stars in the night sky. ‘It’s this way . . . I think.’

‘You think?’ one of the men muttered.

Cato felt a wave of rage well up inside him. ‘Shut up. This way, then. Let’s go.’

Shortly afterwards they were through the last of the huts and racing down a low bank towards the edge of the water. The stars shone brilliantly in the night sky and their reflections shimmered off the oily smooth surface of the water that surrounded the camp.

Figulus grasped his arm. ‘Over there!’

Cato followed the direction the optio indicated and saw the dark shapes of small boats drawn up on the shore fifty paces away.

‘That’ll do us. Come on.’