was after all something more in it than they had fancied. For the
first hour it had seemed to them a sort of joke--a mere freak on
the part of their young chief; but they were themselves surprised
to find by the end of the day how rapidly they were able to change
from their rank two deep into the solid formation, and how their
spears rose and fell together at the order. Beric bade them by
the next morning provide themselves with spears six feet longer.
Britons were more accustomed to fight with javelin than with spear,
and the latter weapons were shorter and lighter than those of the
Romans. Beric felt that the advantage should be the other way, for
the small shields carried by the Britons were inferior as defensive
weapons to those of the Romans, and to preserve the balance it was
necessary therefore to have longer spears; the more so since the
Britons were taller, and far more powerful men than their foes,
and should therefore be able, with practice, to use longer weapons.

The next day Beric chose Boduoc as his second in command, and appointed
ten men sub-officers or sergeants. After a week of almost incessant
work that would have exhausted men less hardy and vigorous, Beric
was satisfied. The company had now come to take great interest in
their work, and were able to go through their exercises with a fair
show of regularity. Even the older chiefs, who had at first shaken
their heads as they looked on, acknowledged that there was a great
deal to be gained from the exercises. Parta was delighted. It was
she who had foreseen the advantages that might be derived from
Beric's stay among the Romans, and she entered heartily into his
plans, ordering the men engaged to be fed from the produce of her
flocks and herds.

When the week was over two hundred more men were summoned, a sufficient