regularly, and held aloof from all hostile movements against them.
Prasutagus was always profuse in his assurance of friendship towards
Rome, and save that the Roman officers visited his capital once a
year to receive their tribute, they troubled but little about the
Iceni, having their hands occupied by their wars in the south and
west, while their main road to the north ran far to the west of
Camalodunum.

"We shall arrive about midnight," Beric said as they strode along.

"We may or we may not," Boduoc said curtly.

"What is to prevent us, Boduoc?"

"Well, the wolves may prevent us, Beric; we heard them howling
several times as we came along this morning. The rapacious brutes
have not been so bold for years, and it is high time that we hunted
them down, or at any rate made our part of the country too hot to
hold them. I told Borgon before I started that if we did not return
by an hour after midnight it would be because we had been obliged
to take to a tree, and that he had better bring out a party at the
first break of day to rescue us."

"But we have never had any trouble of that kind while we have been
hunting, Boduoc."

"No; but I think there must have been some great hunts up in Norfolk,
and that the brutes have come south. Certain it is that there have
in the last week been great complaints of them, and, as you know,
it was for that reason that your mother ordered all the men of the