The five Roman swords were put into requisition, and some straight young saplings were felled, and their points being sharpened they were converted into efficient spears, each some fourteen feet long.

“It is well we have supped,” Malchus said; “our breakfast will depend on ourselves.  Tomorrow we must keep a sharp lookout for smoke rising through the trees; there are sure to be numbers of charcoal burners in the forest, for upon them the Romans depend for their fuel.  One of the first things to do is to obtain a couple of lighted brands.  A fire is essential for warmth among these hills, even putting aside its uses for cooking.”

“That is when we have anything to cook,” Halco said laughingly.

“That is certainly essential,” Malchus agreed; “but there is sure to be plenty of wild boar and deer among these forests.  We have only to find a valley with a narrow entrance, and post ourselves there and send all the men to form a circle on the hills around it and drive them down to us; besides, most likely we shall come across herds of goats and pigs, which the villagers in the lower valleys will send up to feed on the acorns.  I have no fear but we shall be able to obtain plenty of flesh; as to corn, we have only to make a raid down into the plain, and when we have found out something about the general lay of the country, the hills and the extent of the forest, we will choose some spot near its centre and erect huts there.  If it were not for the peasants we might live here for years, for all the Roman forces in Sardinia would be insufficient to rout us out of these mountains; but unfortunately, as we shall have to rob the peasants, they will act as guides to the Romans, and we shall be obliged to keep a sharp lookout against surprise.  If it gets too hot for us we must make a night march across the plain to the mountains on the eastern side.  I heard at Caralis that the wild part there is very much larger than it is on this side of the island, and it extends without a break from the port right up to the north of the island.”

Safe as he felt from pursuit Malchus posted four men as sentries, and the rest of the band lay down to sleep, rejoicing in the thought that on the morrow they should not be wakened to take their share in the labours in the mine.

At daybreak all were on the move, and a deep spot having been found in the stream, they indulged in the luxury of a bath.  That done they started on the march further into the heart of the forest.  The hills were of great height, with bare crags often beetling up among the trees hundreds of feet, with deep valleys and rugged precipices.  In crossing one of these valleys Nessus suddenly lifted his hand.

“What is it?” Malchus asked.

“I heard a pig grunt,” Nessus replied, “on our right there.”

Malchus at once divided the band in two and told them to proceed as quietly as possible along the lower slopes of the hill, leaving a man at every fifteen paces.