BooksBarbecue
Back Under the Eagle Save as PDF
Contents ( 82)
  1. Under The Eagle
  2. Under The Eagle
  3. Under The Eagle
  4. Chapter One
  5. Under The Eagle
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Under The Eagle
  8. Chapter Three
  9. Under The Eagle
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Under The Eagle
  12. Chapter Five
  13. Under The Eagle
  14. Chapter Six
  15. Under The Eagle
  16. Chapter Seven
  17. Under The Eagle
  18. Chapter Eight
  19. Under The Eagle
  20. Chapter Nine
  21. Under The Eagle
  22. Chapter Ten
  23. Under The Eagle
  24. Chapter Eleven
  25. Under The Eagle
  26. Chapter Twelve
  27. Under The Eagle
  28. Chapter Thirteen
  29. Under The Eagle
  30. Chapter Fourteen
  31. Under The Eagle
  32. Chapter Fifteen
  33. Under The Eagle
  34. Chapter Sixteen
  35. Under The Eagle
  36. Chapter Seventeen
  37. Under The Eagle
  38. Chapter Eighteen
  39. Under The Eagle
  40. Chapter Nineteen
  41. Under The Eagle
  42. Chapter Twenty
  43. Under The Eagle
  44. Chapter Twenty-one
  45. Under The Eagle
  46. Chapter Twenty-two
  47. Under The Eagle
  48. Chapter Twenty-three
  49. Under The Eagle
  50. Chapter Twenty-four
  51. Under The Eagle
  52. Chapter Twenty-five
  53. Under The Eagle
  54. Chapter Twenty-six
  55. Under The Eagle
  56. Chapter Twenty-seven
  57. Under The Eagle
  58. Chapter Twenty-eight
  59. Under The Eagle
  60. Chapter Twenty-nine
  61. Under The Eagle
  62. Chapter Thirty
  63. Under The Eagle
  64. Chapter Thirty-one
  65. Under The Eagle
  66. Chapter Thirty-two
  67. Under The Eagle
  68. Chapter Thirty-three
  69. Under The Eagle
  70. Chapter Thirty-four
  71. Under The Eagle
  72. Chapter Thirty-five
  73. Under The Eagle
  74. Chapter Thirty-six
  75. Under The Eagle
  76. Chapter Thirty-seven
  77. Under The Eagle
  78. Chapter Thirty-eight
  79. Under The Eagle
  80. Chapter Thirty-nine
  81. Under The Eagle
  82. Chapter Forty

‘I’m not a deserter!’

‘Seems the boy wants to deny the charge. Well?’

‘We’re not deserters, sir,’ Cato said quietly. ‘We were on a secret mission for the legate.’

‘A secret mission for the legate — I see.’ Tribune Plinius let his amusement show, and winked at the optio. ‘So you were on a secret mission, were you? What kind of a mission?’

‘It doesn’t matter, sir. I have to warn the legate. Before it’s too late!’

‘Too late for what?’

‘There’s an ambush, sir, right up ahead in the forest.’ Cato pointed desperately at the back of the column disappearing into the trees. ‘Togodumnus and his column are right there waiting. Thousands of them, sir. We have to warn Vespasian now!’

Tribune Plinius stared at him in silence for a moment, weighing up the information. There was no reason why he should believe the wild tale told by the boy. How could Togodumnus possibly have evaded the cavalry screen?

‘You’ve seen these Britons personally?’

‘Yes, sir! I beg you to tell the legate—’

‘Silence!’

Whatever the boy had seen was clearly enough to scare him into this state, Plinius reasoned. But what if it turned out to be a false alarm? What damage would that do to his career? On the other hand what would be the damage of not acting on the information should it prove to be accurate? The reputation of a tribune could not be allowed to weigh against the safety of a legion.

‘Very well, get on your horse and go after the legate as fast as you can. Tell him I’m getting the rearguard formed up for battle and will close up with him as soon as I can.’

‘Yes, sir!’ Cato’s heart lifted, and he immediately turned to retrieve his horse from the patrol.

‘One last thing!’ Plinius called out.

‘Sir?’

‘If this proves to be a false alarm then I will personally crucify you on the nearest tree. Understand?’

Under The Eagle

Chapter Thirty-eight

The Second Legion had advanced well into the forest and the vanguard and colour party moved steadily down the track towards General Plautius and the three other legions. The artillery and baggage followed as the two flanking divisions formed a line of march fifty yards either side of the heaving mass of wagons, carts and draught animals. Even as they moved out, it was clear to Vespasian that the order of march was going to run into immediate difficulties. Ahead on the track, trees closed in on either side so the path was constricted to a width of less than thirty paces. Vespasian had foreseen the problem and instructed the senior centurion of each division to thin the flank divisions down to permit as swift as possible a passage through the wooded area. It might well leave the Legion temporarily vulnerable but it was that or face a long march around the forest and Plautius’s instructions had required his legates to bring the legions up to the front by the speediest possible route. As the vanguard moved into the forest, the flank cohorts were ordered to form a column of twos to avoid any entanglement with the baggage train.