THE GREAT TWIN BRETHREN II3 



hidden from sight, and no man ever saw them 

 again. 



The next day, Aulus, the dictator, at the head 

 of his army, returned to Rome, bringing with 

 him, as the strangers had foretold, the spoils of 

 thirty cities. But when the people would have 

 lauded him for his victory he would not permit it. 



" It is not to me that the honor is due," he 

 said, " but to two white strangers who brought 

 us timely aid and joined most valiantly in the 

 fray. For, indeed, the day was going hard 

 against us and the Latins were crowding upon us 

 on every side, when, looking up, I was surprised 

 to see two strange warriors of princely mien 

 riding beside me. Never in my life saw I twins 

 so much alike. Their armor was white as snow, 

 as were also the two war-horses which they be- 

 strode; and their appearance was such that not 

 all the hosts of ©ur enemies could have thrown so 

 great a spell of fear upon me. But I saw at once 

 that they were our friends, for, couching their 

 spears and laying on about them, they rode into 

 the ranks of the foe, and all the thirty armies were 

 filled with dread. Then our foemen wavered; 

 they fell back; they were routed; and, following 

 in the lead of the two white strangers, our men 



