"Why, this little squirt says that he is the greatgrandson of Cingetorix. Wouldn't that make anybody laugh?"

"It wouldn't make me laugh, you big baboon," said Tibur, "because, he is the great-grandson of Cingetorix."

The other looked very crestfallen.

"And not only that," continued Tibur, "he is a man to be reckoned with. He slapped down the son of Agrippina and Germanicus and still lives. That, baboon, is more than you could do." Then he turned to me. "What are you doing here, sonny? In trouble again?"

"Agrippina says that if she ever lays eyes on me again she will have my throat cut."

Both the guardsmen whistled-long drawn-out, speculative whistles. The baboon, whose name was Vibiu, remarked that it might not be healthy to be found in my company. He hoped no one had seen him conducting me through the streets of Rome.

"What you been doin' now, sonny?" demanded Tibur.

"Nothing," I said. "It was Little Boots. He fell off his stilts and got a bloody nose--I was just trying to teach him to walk on them. He kept teasing me, and finally I let him try it. Agrippina threw a very nice vase at me, but I dodged it and it broke all to pieces against one of the pillars of the colonnade. It was one of Antonia's best vases," I added.

"They have had slaves burned at the stake for less than that," said Vibiu. "Why, even a patrician was sentenced to death for wearing into a latrine a ring on which was engraved a likeness of the Emperor; but Tiberius pardoned him. He would probably not bother to pardon a slave."

Tibur was in deep thought; and when Tibur was in deep thought, it was really quite painful to witness his facial contortions: he seemed to think on the outside of his head. But perhaps this is quite understandable when one considers that there was not much room inside his head.

"If we don't want to end up on the Gemonian steps ourselves," said Vibiu, "we'd better turn this brat over to our centurian."

"No!" bellowed Tibur in a terrible voice. "And if you tell anyone you have seen him, I'll cut your heart out and eat it."

Just then a trumpet sounded, and Vibiu said, "Now what in hell is that for?"

"You ought to know," growled Tibur. "The legion is being called out, sonny," he said to me. "I'll look after you when we're dismissed. I know a woman in the city who will hide you until we can make other plans." Then he and Vibiu hurried away.

As no one knew me, I went out to where the legion was forming, motivated by my boyish curiosity, for I knew that this must be something unusual. It was.

The Lieutenant-General was out in front of the legion with his aides and a civilian who was half-hidden from me by the officers. The General began to address the legion, and I crept around closer where I could hear better. I just heard the last part of his orders: ". .