Four of the brand-marked rabble at once volunteered.
After the last man had been selected and the British centurions had
marshalled, inspected and approved the three new centuries thus
constituted, we were marched off to the town arsenal and there equipped
with corselets, strap-kilts, greaves; cloaks, helmets, shields, swords and
spears; only Agathemer, I, and the four other cooks and helpers, were
given no spears, shields, helmets or body-armour, only swords, jackets and
caps.
Then, full-fledged tumultary legionaries, we were marshalled as well as
greenhorns could be ranked and we marched from the market-place the length
of the street leading to the Fidentia Gate. Outside it we found the
semblance of a camping-ground and tents ready for us to set up. Up we set
them, we new recruits, clumsily, under the jeers of the old-timers, to the
tune of taunts and curses from the disgusted veteran centurions.
When the camp was set up a fire was made for each century and we cooks and
helpers fell to our duties, with a squad of privates to cut wood, feed the
fires, fetch water and do any other rough preparatory work, such as
butchering a sheep or a goat, killing, picking and cleaning fowls, and
what not. For this welcome, if clumsy, assistance we had to thank one of
the British centurions, who admonished our newly-elected Umbrian sergeant
that camp-cookery called for any needed number of assistant helpers to the
chief cook if the men were to be fed properly and promptly.
Pages:
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504