` They drank , and wiped their yellow beards in silence till they rose to go . ` Said Amal , stretching himself -LRB- for they were barbarians -RRB- : `` We be a goodly company ; I wonder what the ravens and the dogfish will make of some of us before this snow melts . '' ' `` Think rather what Theodosius may send , '' I answered ; and though they laughed , I saw that my chance shot troubled them . ` Only old Allo lingered behind a little . ' `` You see , '' he said , winking and blinking , `` I am no more than their dog . When I have shown their men the secret short ways across our bogs , they will kick me like one . '' ' `` Then I should not be in haste to show them those ways , '' said Pertinax , `` till I was sure that Rome could not save the Wall . '' ' `` You think so ? Woe is me ! '' said the old man . `` I only wanted peace for my people , '' and he went out stumbling through the snow behind the tall Winged Hats . ` In this fashion then , slowly , a day at a time , which is very bad for doubting troops , the War came upon us . At first the Winged Hats swept in from the sea as they had done before , and there we met them as before -- with the catapults ; and they sickened of it . Yet for a long time they would not trust their duck-legs on land , and I think , when it came to revealing the secrets of the tribe , the little Picts were afraid or ashamed to show them all the roads across the heather . I had this from a Pict prisoner . They were as much our spies as our enemies , for the Winged Hats oppressed them , and took their winter stores . Ah , foolish Little People ! ` Then the Winged Hats began to roll us up from each end of the Wall . I sent runners Southward to see what the news might be in Britain , but the wolves were very bold that winter , among the deserted stations where the troops had once been , and none came back . We had trouble , too , with the forage for the ponies along the Wall .
I kept ten , and so did XXXXX .
Allo Amal Pertinax Picts Rome bogs day duck-legs first ravens