midday
Late in the afternoon they learned . They had advanced , each man carrying three days ' provisions with him . Beric , being aware that this was their custom , had during the night led his men some distance down the hillside , and making a detour occupied before morning the ground the Romans had passed over . At midday a great convoy of baggage animals , laden with provisions , came along . It extended over a great length , and came in straggling order , the men leading their animals , and making their way with difficulty through the thick trees . Five hundred Roman soldiers were scattered along the line . Suddenly the sound of a horn rose in the woods , and in an instant , at points all along the line of the convoy , strong bodies of men burst down upon them .