I have
heard that many of Caesar's slave-gangs are busy afield, on farms, or
pasture-lands or in the forests."
"That," said the alderman, "will be easy. Afield you shall go--even far
afield. Do you like horses? Can you manage horses?"
"I love all animals," I said, "and most particularly horses."
"Then," said the alderman, "I have already in mind the very place for you,
where none of your rancorous late associates can ever find you, on an
Imperial stock-farm or breeding-ranch in the uplands, among the forested
mountains. Would you consider it a reward, would you consider it the
fulfillment of your wish to be transferred from our town _ergastulum_,
where you were as an Imperial slave rented out to our city, to such an
Imperial estate, where you will be directly under the employees of the
_fiscus_?"
"I certainly should feel rewarded," I said, "by such a transfer."
"In addition," he concluded, "we shall present you with a new tunic and
cloak and new shoes, also an extra tunic, and with a purse containing ten
silver pieces."
CHAPTER XXV
THE OPEN COUNTRY
After some days of rest, abundant food and leisurely hot-baths in the
freedman's house, I left Nuceria under convoy of three genial road-
constables and journeyed deliberately northward along the Flaminian
Highway to the Imperial estate which was to be my abode.
Pages:
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552