At length a Nervian slave was found to make
another adventure. He was a Gaul, and could easily disguise himself. A
letter to Caesar was enclosed in the shaft of his javelin. He glided out
of the camp in the dark, passed undetected among the enemies as one of
themselves, and, escaping from their lines, made his way to Amiens.
Swiftness of movement was Caesar's distinguishing excellence. The legions
were kept ready to march at an hour's notice. He sent an order to Crassus
to join him instantly from Montdidier. He sent to Fabius at St. Pol to
meet him at Arras. He wrote to Labienus, telling him the situation, and
leaving him to his discretion to advance or to remain on his guard at
Lavacherie, as might seem most prudent. Not caring to wait for the rest of
his army, and leaving Crassus to take care of Amiens, he started himself,
the morning after the information reached him, with Trebonius's legion to
Cicero's relief. Fabius joined him, as he had been directed, at Arras. He
had hoped for Labienus's presence also; but Labienus sent to say that he
was surrounded by the Treveri, and dared not stir. Caesar approved his
hesitation, and with but two legions, amounting in all to only 7,000 men,
he hurried forward to the Nervian border. Learning that Cicero was still
holding out, he wrote a letter to him in Greek, that it might be
unintelligible if intercepted, to tell him that help was near.
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