CONTENTS PAGE I THE LAST OF THE LEGIONS 9 II THE LAST GALLEY 22 III THROUGH THE VEIL 37 IV THE COMING OF THE HUNS 47 V THE CONTEST 68 VI THE FIRST CARGO 83 VII AN ICONOCLAST 98 VIII GIANT MAXIMIN 112 IX THE RED STAR 141 X THE SILVER MIRROR 158 XI THE HOME-COMING 177 XII A POINT OF CONTACT 202 XIII THE CENTURION 215THE LAST OF THE LEGIONS THE LAST OF THE LEGIONS _and Other Tales of Long Ago_ITHE LAST OF THE LEGIONSPontus, the Roman viceroy, sat in the atrium of his palatial villa bythe Thames, and he looked with perplexity at the scroll of papyrus whichhe had just unrolled. Before him stood the messenger who had brought it,a swarthy little Italian, whose black eyes were glazed with want ofsleep, and his olive features darker still from dust and sweat. Theviceroy was looking fixedly at him, yet he saw him not, so full was hismind of this sudden and most unexpected order. To him it seemed as ifthe solid earth had given way beneath his feet. His life and the work ofhis life had come to irremediable ruin."Very good," he said at last in a hard dry voice, "you can go."The man saluted and staggered out of the hall. A yellow-haired Britishmajor-domo came forward for orders."Is the General there?""He is waiting, your excellency.""Then show him in, and leave us together."A few minutes later Licinius Crassus, the head of the British militaryestablishment, had joined his chief. He was a large, bearded man in awhite civilian toga, hemmed with the Patrician purple. His rough, boldfeatures, burned and seamed and lined with the long African wars, wereshadowed with anxiety as he looked with questioning eyes at the drawn,haggard face of the viceroy.