16
When the night was already far advanced, with its great silence and sweet sleep, there was a noise from without as though the wall were being broken through, and so it was. There was a hole already large enough to admit a man, and one man after another made his way through it promptly until a number were inside, swords in hand. Then they tied up Hipparchos and Palaistra and my man in their rooms, and so stripped the house fearlessly, carrying out the money and the clothes and the furniture. When there was nothing more left in it, they took me and the other ass and the horse, saddled us, and strapped all they had stolen onto us. Laden with these heavy loads, they drove us up the mountain by an untrodden road, beating us with clubs, and bent on escaping. I am not able to describe the feelings of the other beasts, but I, for my part-barefoot, inexperienced, treading on sharp stones, and bearing so much stuff-was ready to die. Every now and then I stumbled, but I was not at liberty to fall down, for some one from behind would instantly give me a blow across the haunches with a club; and when I frequently longed to cry, "O Caesar!" I could do nothing but bray. I could bring out the "O" full and loud, but the "Caesar" would not follow. And even for this they clubbed me, because they thought my braying would betray them. So, when I found that my cries were in vain, I resolved to go on in silence, with the gain, at least, of not being beaten.
