The little rise was but a short distance from camp, the country beyond was open but was covered with low brushwood.  As soon as they were over the brow and were assured that none of those who had left the camp before them were in sight, they plunged into the brushwood, and, making their way on their hands and knees for a few hundred yards, lay down in the midst of it.

“They are not likely to search on this side of the camp,” Malchus said.  “They will not know at what hour I escaped, and will naturally suppose that I started at once to regain our camp.  Listen, their trumpets are blowing.  No doubt they are about to strike their camp and march; by this time my escape must be known.  And now tell me, Nessus, how did you manage to follow and discover me?”

“It was easy to follow you, my lord,” Nessus said.  “When I heard your order I lay still, but watched through the bushes your meeting with the Gauls.  My arrow was in the string, and had they attacked you I should have loosed it among them, and then rushed out to die with you, but when I saw them take you a prisoner I followed your orders.  I had no difficulty in keeping you in sight until nightfall.  Then I crept up to the wood and made my way until I was within a few yards of you and lay there till nearly morning; but, as the men around you never went to sleep, I could do nothing and stole away again before daylight broke.  Then I followed again until I saw our horsemen approaching.  I had started to run towards them to lead them to you when I saw the Roman horse, and I again hid myself.

“The next night again the Romans kept too vigilant a watch for me to do anything, and I followed them all yesterday until I saw them enter the Roman camp.  As soon as it was dark I entered, and, getting into the part of the camp occupied by the Massilians, whose Gaulish talk I could understand a little, I gathered that a Carthaginian prisoner who had been brought in was to be executed in the morning.  So I set to work to find you; but the night was too dark to see where the sentries were placed, and I had to crawl round every tent to see if one stood at the entrance on guard, for I was sure that a sentry would be placed over you.  I entered seven tents, at whose doors sentries were placed, before I found yours, but they were all those of Roman generals or persons of importance.  I entered each time by cutting a slit in the back of the tent.  At last when I was beginning to despair, I found your tent.

“It was the smallest of any that had been guarded, and this made me think I was right.  When I crawled in I found feeling cautiously about, that two Roman soldiers were asleep on the ground and that you were lying between them.  Then I went to the entrance.  The sentry was standing with his back to it.  I struck a blow on his neck from behind, and he died without knowing he was hurt.  I caught him as I struck and lowered him gently down, for the crash of his arms as he fell would have roused everyone near.  After that it was easy to stab the two guards sleeping by you, and then I woke you.”