They did so, and he marched to the assistance of the wretched Empire.
He was to be met by Roman reinforcements at the Haemus. They never
came; and the Amal, disgusted and disheartened, found himself
entangled in the defiles of the Haemus, starving and worn out; with
the One-eyed entrenched on an inaccessible rock, where he dared not
attack him.

Then followed an extraordinary scene. The One-eyed came down again
and again from his rock, and rode round the Amal's camp, shouting to
him words so true, that one must believe them to have been really
spoken.

'Perjured boy, madman, betrayer of your race--do you not see that the
Roman plan is as always to destroy Goths by Goths? Whichever of us
falls, they, not we, will be the stronger. They never met you as
they promised, at the cities, nor here. They have sent you out here
to perish in the desert.'

Then the East Goths raised a cry. 'The One-eyed is right. The Amal
cares not that these men are Goths like ourselves.'

Then the One-eyed appeals to the Goths themselves, as he curses the
Amal.

'Why are you killing your kinsmen? Why have you made so many widows?
Where is all their wealth gone, they who set out to fight for you?
Each of them had two or three horses: but now they are walking on
foot behind you like slaves,--free-men as well-born as yourself:- and
you promised to measure them out gold by the bushel.'