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65. The Boyhood of Daniel Boone ![]() |
Britannī, cum iam iterum cum Americānīs gererent bellum pugnīsque nāvālībus saepe victī essent, postrēmō cōnstituērunt usque ad Lovīsiānam classem mittere, sī ibi fēlīcius rem gerere possent. Quārē appulsīs nāvibus ad eum locum, ubi in mare fertur flūmen maximum, quem Indī patrem aquārum vocābant, mīlitēs multī in lītus ēgressī praedia fīnitima explōrāre coepērunt.
Sīc factum est ut quīdam adulēscēns Americānus, quī in vīllā ōtiōsus hōrā dīeī ferē quārtā morābātur, mīlitēs complūrīs in hortō latentēs subitō animadverteret. Quā rē novā graviter commōtus, comitēs ut sine mora latebrās quaererent hortātus est, et ipse prīmō fugā salūtem petīvit; sed ab hostibus statim circumventus, sē dēdere tum nōn dubitāvit. At paulō post fenestrā patefactā ērūpit, cumque tēla hostium undique in eum conicerentur, incolumis pervēnit in palūdem, ubi BritannI armīs impedītī summō labōre sequēbantur.
Itaque iuvenis, cum dēmum ab hostibus intervallō satis magno abesset, arborem nactus idōneam in quā latēret, celeriter conscendit. Brevī autem sonum exiguum sub arbore audīvit; cumque dēspēxisset, ibi vīdit canem, quam maximē amābat. Quārē perīculum veritus, comitem fidēlem, quae per palūdem dominum secūta erat, invītus necāvit, multīsque cum lacrimīs sub foliīs tēxit. Deinde aliquamdiū tacitus in arbore morātus est; postquam autem Britannī quaerendō dēfessī ad vīllam sē recēpērunt, magnō circuitū custōdiās hostium vītāvit, eōrumque dē adventū certiōrem fēcit imperātōrem Americānum, quī oppidum haud longinquum praesidiō tum tenēbat.
Just inside the street door of a Pompeian house is found worked into the mosaic of the pavement this representation of a watchdog. The words Cavē canem signify “Beware of the dog.”
The Romans divided the time between sunrise and sunset into twelve equal hours——long in summer, and short in winter. Above is shown a sundial to mark the time in the great used public baths at Pompeii.