An Island Story | Page 4

have flags such as we have in our army. Their
standard was an eagle which was carried upon a pole. The eagle was of
gold, or gilded to look like gold. Wherever the eagle led, there the
soldiers followed, for it was the emblem of their honor, and they fought
for and guarded it as their most precious possession.

So now, when the Roman soldiers saw their standard in the midst of the
enemy, they followed with all haste. Their fear was great lest it should
be taken. It was counted as a terrible disgrace to the Romans if they
returned from battle without their standard. Death was better than
disgrace, so they leaped into the water to meet the fierce Britons.
A fearful fight followed. The Romans could not keep their proper order,
neither could they find firm footing. Weighted down with their heavy
armor, they sank in the sand or slipped upon the rocks. All the while
the Britons showered darts upon them and struck at them fiercely with
their battle-axes and swords.
The Britons were very brave, but they had not learned the best ways of
fighting as the Romans had. So after a terrible struggle the Romans
reached the land. On shore they formed in close ranks and charged the
Britons.
The Britons in their turn charged the Romans with their war chariots.
The horses tore wildly along, neighing and champing their bits, and
trampling underfoot those who were not cut down with the swords on
the wheels. As they galloped, the fighting men in the cars threw darts
and arrows everywhere among the enemy. When they were in the
thickest of the fray the horses would suddenly stand still. Then the
soldiers, springing out of the chariot, would fight fiercely for a few
minutes with their battle-axes, killing every one within reach. Again
they would leap into the cart, the horses would start forward and once
more gallop wildly through the ranks of the enemy, leaving a track of
dead behind them wherever they passed. But in spite of all their wild
bravery the Britons were beaten at last and fled before the Romans.
Thus C¾sar first landed upon the shores of Britain. But so many of his
soldiers were killed and wounded that he was glad to make peace with
these brave islanders.
He sailed away again in such of his ships as had not been destroyed.
For fierce storms had arisen a few days after his landing and wrecked
many of his vessels.

C¾sar did not gain much glory from this fight. Indeed, when he went
away, it seemed rather as if he were fleeing from a foe than leaving a
conquered land.

CHAPTER 3
THE ROMANS COME AGAIN
C®SAR must have felt that he had not really conquered the Britons for,
as soon as he arrived safely in France, he began to gather together
another army. In the spring of the following year, he again sailed over
to Britain. He came now not with eighty, but with eight hundred ships
and many thousands of men. But this time there was no one to meet
him when he landed. The Britons indeed had heard of his coming, and
had gathered in great force to resist him. But, when they saw such a
huge number of ships, their hearts were filled with fear, and they fled
into the forests and hills to hide.
It must have been a wonderful sight, in the eyes of the ancient Britons,
to see so many ships sailing on the sea all at once. They knew scarcely
anything of the great lands which lay beyond the blue sea surrounding
their little island. They had not even dreamed that the whole world
contained as many ships as they now saw. So it was not surprising that
at first they were afraid and fled. But they did not lose courage for long.
They soon returned and many battles were fought.
The Romans seemed to think that they won all these battles, but the
Britons were not at all sure of it. Certainly a great many people on both
sides were killed. If the Britons had been less brave than they were,
they would have been very badly beaten, for the Romans wore strong
armor and carried shields made of steel, while the Britons had little
armor, if any at all, and their shields were made of wood covered with
skins of animals. The Roman swords too were strong and sharp, while
those of the Britons were made of copper. Copper is a very soft metal,
and swords made of it are easily bent and so made useless.

The Britons at this time were divided into many tribes, each following
their own chief. They often used to quarrel among themselves. Now,
however, they joined