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For in from the barns and fields came running first the servants from the stables, armed with mattocks and muck-forks, and then the farm-hands with their scythes and reaping hooks. "We shall never force these doors," exclaimed Gabinius, in despair, as he saw the defenders augmenting. Dumnorix turned to his men. "Go, some of you. Enter from behind! Take this rabble from the rear.
Divitiacus was sent for, confessed with tears his brother's misdeeds, and begged that he might be forgiven. Dumnorix was brought in. Caesar showed that he was aware of his conduct; but spoke kindly to him, and cautioned him for the future.
As Pratinas approached the solidly barred doorway, a grating was pushed aside and a rude voice demanded: "Your business? What are you doing here?" "Is Dumnorix sober?" replied Pratinas, nothing daunted. "If so, tell him to come and speak with me. I have something for his advantage." Either Pratinas was well known at the gladiators' school, or something in his speech procured favour.
He ascertained at last that there was treachery. Dumnorix and other Aeduan leaders were in correspondence with the enemy. The cavalry defeat and the other failures were thus explained. Caesar, who trusted much to gentleness and to personal influence, was unwilling to add the Aeduii to his open enemies. Dumnorix was the brother of Divitiacus, the reigning chief, whom Caesar had known in Rome.
I have made an arrangement which will ensure having a careful man at his elbow in time of need. You, of course, will have to do your best to save the unfortunate Quintus from inevitable fate. But I have asked Publius Gabinius to leave for Præneste very early on the morning when Dumnorix passes through that place.
After all, Dumnorix's gladiators were nothing to him. And when later he found that neither Dumnorix, nor Gabinius, nor Phaon had been taken or slain at Præneste, he breathed the easier. No one else except Pratinas, he was certain, knew why the lanista had made his attack; and there was no danger of being charged with complicity in the conspiracy.
All that day the country was in a turmoil. The Prænestean senate had met in hasty session, and the decurions ordered the entire community under arms to hunt down the disturbers of the peace. Not until nightfall did Dumnorix and a mere remnant of his band find themselves able, under the shadow of the darkness, to shake off the pursuit. Gabinius was still with him.
"And a word more in closing," said Pratinas, as he parted with Phaon in the tavern while Lucius, who had been drinking very heavily, nodded stupidly over his goblet of amber Falernian, in a vain attempt to gulp down eight cyathi at once, one measure to each letter in the name of Cornelia "a word more. Dumnorix is a thick-skulled knave, who is, after all, good for little but blows.
The first gladiator indeed went down with a pierced neck, but the next instant Falto was beside him, atoning for his stupid folly, the whole side of his head cleft away by a stroke from a Gallic long-sword. "One rush and we have the old man surrounded," exhorted Dumnorix, when only Pausanias barred the way.
One observation, however, he made before they parted. "You swore that Dumnorix should get into no trouble. May it not prove expensive to keep him out of difficulty?" "My dear Lucius," replied Pratinas, "in cases of that kind there is a line from the Hippolytus of the immortal tragedian Euripides, which indicates the correct attitude for a philosopher and a man of discretion to assume.
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