How can you be away
three days or more at this juncture? Might not your prizes: procurator,
propraetor, widow, jewels, coin, and gold all slip through your hands
during your absence in my behalf?"
"No fear, lad!" he laughed; "our advices never deceive us. The procurator
with his gold is far away and approaching slowly; neither the widow nor
the propraetor is ready to leave Rome; both are occupied with endless
preparations. I have plenty of time. And it won't take me any three days
to reach Sentinum and return. I'll set off at sunset. About the third hour
tomorrow I'll be at Sentinum, my mount lathered and blown, but far from
used up; about the ninth hour I'll pass out of one of the gates of
Sentinum on my return, completely refreshed myself and with my mount fit
for the return journey: I'll be here in camp at dawn day after tomorrow,
with the coin bags. You can come for your cash any time after the third
hour day after tomorrow. Is it a bargain?"
"Done!" said I.
"Then get home," he said. "If I'm to go two nights without sleep I'll give
orders now, post my out-pickets and what not and snooze till dusk."
I spent the next day on my crag. Several trains of wagons with arena-
beasts passed, but they were farther apart than ten days before.
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