A colonnade of low whitewashed pillars ran all about: and behind them stretched rows of small rooms and a few larger apartments.

There were _tyros_ practising with wooden swords in one of the rooms, whence a light streamed, and a knot of older gladiators was urging them on, mocking, praising, and criticising their efforts.

Now and then a burly gladiator would stroll across the court; but the young noble and his escort remained hidden in shadow.
Presently a door opened at the other end of the courtyard, and some one with a lantern began to come toward the entrance.

Long before the stranger was near, Ahenobarbus thought he was rising like a giant out of the darkness; and when at last Dumnorix--for it was he--was close at hand, both Roman and Greek seemed veritable dwarfs beside him.
Dumnorix--so far as he could be seen in the lantern light--was a splendid specimen of a northern giant.

He was at least six feet five inches in height, and broad proportionately.