The day before the games, in the afternoon, all Ilderim's racing property was taken to the city, and put in quarters adjoining the Circus.

Along with it the good man carried a great deal of property not of that class; so with servants, retainers mounted and armed, horses in leading, cattle driven, camels laden with baggage, his outgoing from the Orchard was not unlike a tribal migration.

The people along the road failed not to laugh at his motley procession; on the other side, it was observed that, with all his irascibility, he was not in the least offended by their rudeness.

If he was under surveillance, as he had reason to believe, the informer would describe the semi-barbarous show with which he came up to the races.

The Romans would laugh; the city would be amused; but what cared he?
Next morning the pageant would be far on the road to the desert, and going with it would be every movable thing of value belonging to the Orchard--everything save such as were essential to the success of his four.