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Keep an eye on it. Begin, Agathemer." "It is a shorter story than you anticipate," Agathemer began. "Hedulio and I had completed the final inspection of the estate. We had begun each inspection with Chryseros' farm and had taken the farms in rotation, ending up with Feliger's. We had inspected Macer's farm in the morning, had had a leisurely bath, lunch and snooze and had ridden out to Feliger's.
Partly by sight, even from behind him, partly by the objurgation which he panted out, I recognized Chryseros Philargyrus and realized that he thought that Agathemer had been torturing me in revenge for his flogging at Nemestronia's. I instantly forgot my plight and my natural instincts asserted themselves.
"Hedulio led the bull into the pen, patted him on the neck and then turned his back on him and sauntered out of the pen, shutting the gate without hurry. "Chryseros ran to him, stumbling as he ran, fell on his knees, caught Hedulio's hand, and poured out a torrent of thanks." "Did all that really happen?" Tanno queried. "Precisely as I have told it." Agathemer affirmed.
Of these we took as many as were necessary to replenish the store of coins Chryseros had furnished us with. Even of silver we dared not carry too much. The hoard was so large that the handful of coins we took was unlikely ever to be missed. The little girls, early in our stay, became entirely accustomed to us and utterly trustful of us.
Chryseros admonished me. "Keep quiet! This is doing you good." And he chafed my back, inundating it with his fiery liniment till I was on the verge of fainting from mere pain. Half fainting I was as the two raised me to my feet and put the tunic on me, as they helped me back to my bed in the little grotto.
He was heart and soul with Ducconius all through the period of the suit. His daughter is married to one of Ducconius' tenants and his younger son has taken one of Ducconius' farms since three of his tenant-families died off year before, last with the plague. This makes old Chryseros Philargyrus by no means a pleasant tenant for me."
As long as he kept on pushing Chryseros was more scared than hurt; but, sooner or later, the bull was certain to draw back, lunge, and skewer Chryseros on one or the other of his horns. "When I first saw them Chryseros and the bull were as I have described. Hedulio was twisting the bull's tail. "The bull paid no more attention to the tail-twisting than if Hedulio had been in the moon.
"Does being his slave inhibit you from telling the truth about him?" Tanno queried. "If it is to his discredit, certainly," Agathemer answered. "Suppose it is to his credit, very much to his credit," Tanno pursued. "Then I am permitted to tell the truth," laughed Agathemer. "Then," said Tanno, "tell us the whole truth about Hedulio and Chryseros Philargyrus and the bull."
He had joyfully accepted the ideas and suggestions which Chryseros put forward, as well as his proffers of assistance. Chryseros directed that the two copper cylinders and most of the spoils of Agathemer's pilferings should be left in our little grotto, hidden under the dead leaves. He would then smuggle them away and dispose of them.
The crossing of the Tolenus and Himella should give us no trouble whatever. We would pass south of Cliternia and north of Fisternae. Chryseros questioned Agathemer closely as to his knowledge of the byroads, and applauded him highly, only on a few points correcting him or amplifying what he knew. North of Fisternae we could gain the mountains and work northwards.
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