The Goths, from the earliest times to the end of the Gothic dominion in Spain . ssafety, rushed to the front, and fought like a commonsoldier. He was mounted on his favourite charger, abeautiful dark-brown horse with a white star on itsforehead. The deserters recognized their late general,and the word was hastily passed through the Gothicranks, Aim at the horse with the white knowing what was meant, the Goths obeyedthe hint, and charged with lances and swords uponthe imperial commander. His body-guard gatheredround him, and enclosed him within a wall of a desperate fi
The Goths, from the earliest times to the end of the Gothic dominion in Spain . ssafety, rushed to the front, and fought like a commonsoldier. He was mounted on his favourite charger, abeautiful dark-brown horse with a white star on itsforehead. The deserters recognized their late general,and the word was hastily passed through the Gothicranks, Aim at the horse with the white knowing what was meant, the Goths obeyedthe hint, and charged with lances and swords uponthe imperial commander. His body-guard gatheredround him, and enclosed him within a wall of a desperate fight, the Goths retired to theircamp with the loss of a thousand men. But now fresh bodies of cavalry came up, and theRomans, who had themselves suffered serious losses,were compelled to have recourse to flight. At the topof a hill, where they had halted for a moments breath-ing space, they were overtaken by their pursuers, andthe fight was renewed. Valentine, the groom of Beli-sariuss step-son, fought like a lion, and by his soleprowess succeeded in checking for a moment the. 230 WITIGIS THE UNREADY. advance of the enemy. But it was in vain to resistthe overwhelming numbers of the Gothic host, andthe Romans were driven close up to the walls ofRome. A few of the fugitives who had outstrippedthe rest found entrance into the city. They reportedthat Bclisarius was killed, and that the enemy was inclose pursuit The gate was hastily flung to, andwhen Belisarius and his comrades had crossed theditch they found themselves shut out. In vain thegeneral shouted and threatened ; the soldiers on thetop of the tower did not recognize his voice, and inthe gathering twilight his features, covered with bloodand dust as they were, could not be seemed as if in another moment the Goths wouldhave scrambled across the moat and massacred thelittle band huddled under the walls. A daring strata-gem of Belisarius saved himself and his companionsfrom destruction. Drawing up his handful o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectgoths, bookyear1887
