maximus coughed a while longer , but in the middle of the night towards the end of the week , they were all woken by a terrible squealing , distant shrieks of terror and fire ; in a panic they burst out from the tents to discover maximus attempting guiltily to sneak unnoticed back into the parade grounds , with as much success as was to be expected in this endeavor , and carrying in his already-bloodied jaws a spare ox .