I asked the procurator what had become of the bullion on account of which
the brigands had routed out the cages. He laughed and asked whether I had
noted anything peculiar in the handling of the cages while I was returning
their contents to them. I said I had noticed that the rollers lashed to
the wagons were never used, but fresh-cut rollers each time a cage was
taken off a wagon or put back on.
He laughed again.
"You can conjecture then," he said, "why the outlaws got no grain of the
dust, let alone any nugget: six hundred rollers, even with very moderate
holes bored into half of them, would hold more bullion than the procurator
was convoying."
I laughed also.
"I suppose," I said, "it could not be told which rollers were bored out
and might crush if used."
"Just so!" said he.
We journeyed to Rome with as much hurry as could be made by such a beast-
train, which was very slowly for men on good horses. We made excursions up
crossroads, idled at inns, were entertained at villas and I decidedly
enjoyed the beginning of my life as Festus the Beast-Tamer. We were
fourteen full days on the road.
I had time to meditate on the fifth fulfillment of the prophecy of the
Aemilian Sibyl. Also I had time to offer two white hens to Mercury at
Nuceria, at Spolitum, at Interamnia, at Narnia and at Ocriculum.
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