Ironroot
“We’ve got to go. You can see their dust through the trees now. “ Salonius blinked.
“Come on!” Varro barked, turning and making for Catilina and the horses.
Salonius jogged along behind him, slowly raising his eyes and catching up as the captain left the bridge.
“Rope.”
“What?” Varro grumbled? “What rope?”
“Get lots of rope. We can bring this beech down on the bridge.”
Varro sighed and pointed up at the branches.
“It’s a young tree; not very heavy. It won’t collapse the bridge, Salonius!”
“No,” ...the young man replied, “but it’ll block it completely; and it’s small enough that four horses should be able to pull it over.”
Varro blinked and a slow smile crept over him.
“That’d stop them alright. And the valley’s too steep and covered in scree here to get a horse up. They’ll have to go back a few miles to get round. Hang on… what’s to stop them pulling it back out of the way?”
Salonius smiled. “Firstly, they’ll only have access to the delicate, easily breakable branches at the top of the tree.MoreLess
“Come on!” Varro barked, turning and making for Catilina and the horses.
Salonius jogged along behind him, slowly raising his eyes and catching up as the captain left the bridge.
“Rope.”
“What?” Varro grumbled? “What rope?”
“Get lots of rope. We can bring this beech down on the bridge.”
Varro sighed and pointed up at the branches.
“It’s a young tree; not very heavy. It won’t collapse the bridge, Salonius!”
“No,” ...the young man replied, “but it’ll block it completely; and it’s small enough that four horses should be able to pull it over.”
Varro blinked and a slow smile crept over him.
“That’d stop them alright. And the valley’s too steep and covered in scree here to get a horse up. They’ll have to go back a few miles to get round. Hang on… what’s to stop them pulling it back out of the way?”
Salonius smiled. “Firstly, they’ll only have access to the delicate, easily breakable branches at the top of the tree.MoreLess
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