The native American., 1838-02-24
THRILLING SKETCH.

gious daring of-THE SEXTON OF COLOGNE.
THRILLING SKETCH.
"a portal of the arena opened; and the COM
batant, with mantle thrown over his face and
| figure, was led in the surroundery. The lion
roared and ramped against the bars of his den at
the sight The guard put sword and buckler
into the hands of the Christian and he was left
alone. He drew the mantle from his face, and
bent slow and firm look around the amphithea-
| tire. His fine countenance and lofty bearing
raised universal shout Of admiration. He might
have stood for an Apollo encountering the Python.
His eye at last turned on mine. Gould believe
my senses Constantius was before me!
'sAll my rancour vanished An hour past:
could have struck the betrayer to the heart;
could have called on the severest vengeance of
man and heaven to smite the destroyer of my
child. But to see him hopeessly doomed, the
man whom had honored for his noble qualities,
whom had even loved, whose crime was at the
worst but the crime Of giving way to the strongest
Temptation that can bewilder the heart of man,
to see this noble creature flung to the savage beast
dying in tortures, torn piecemeal before my eyes
and his misery wrought by me, would have
obtested earth and heaven to save him. But my
tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth. My
| limbs refused to stir. | would have thrown my
| self at the feet of Nero; but l sat like man Of
stone-pale -paralized-the beating Of my pulse
stopped-my eyes alone alive.
'The gate of the den was thrown back, ant
the lion rushed in with roar and bound tina
bore him half across the arena. | saw the swort
| glitter in the air, when it waved again it was
lowered with blood-a howl told that the blow
largest from Numidia and made furious by thirst
and hunger, an animal Of prodigious power,
crouched for an instant as if to make sure of his
prey, crept few PAGES onward and sprung at
the victims throat. He was met by second
wound, but his impulse was irresistible cry
|of natural horror rang round the amphithea-
tire. The struggling now for an instant
life or death. They rolled over each other: the
lion reared upon his hind feet, and with gnashing
teeth and distended talons, plunged on the man;
again they rose together. Anxiety was at
its widest height. The sword now swung round
the champions head in bloody circles. They
fell again covered with blood and dust. The
hand of Constantius had grasped the lions name,
and the furious bounds Of the monster could not
loose the hold but his strength was evidently
giving way; he still struck terrible blows, each
was weaker than the one before; till collecting
his whole force for last effort, he darted one
mighty blow into the lions throat, and sunk.
bowling round the arena. But the hand still
grasped the name, and his conqueror was drag
|ged whirling through the dust at his heels. A
universal outcry now arose to save him, if he
were not already dead. But the lion, though
bleeding from every vein, was still too terrible,
and all shrunk from the hazard. At last the
grasp gave way, and the body lay motionless on
the ground.
'sWhat happened for few moments after, !
know not. There was struggling at the portal;
la female forced her way through the guards,
rushed in alone, and flung herself upon the VIC
tim. The sight of new prey reused the lion;
he tore the ground with his talons; he lashed
his streaming sides with his tail he lifted up
his name, and barred his fangs. But his ap-
preaching was no longer with bound; he dread
ed the sword, and came snuhing the blood on the
sand stealing around the body in circuits still di-
mnshing.
1.-The confusion in the vast assemblage was
now extreme. Voices innumerable called for aid
Women screamed and tainted; men burst into in.
dignant clamors at this prolonged cruelty. Ever
the hard hearts of the populace, accustomed as
they were to the sacrifices Of life, rottsed
honest curses. The guards grasped their arms
and waited but for a sign from the emperor
But Nero gave no sign.
| 81 looked upon the woman's face; it wa
Salome! sprang upon my feet. called OF
her name; called her by every feeling of nature
to fly from that place of death, to come to my
arms, to think of the agones of all that loved her
i "I am come to de- she uttered IN lo'tyy
tone. This bleeding body was my husband
I have no father. The world contains to me bu
this clay in my arms Yet and she kissed the
ashy lips before her. yet, my Constanuus, It was
to save that father that your generous heart defet
the ucriI of this hour. 1t was to redeem hin
from the hand of evil, trat you abandoned you
ouiet home! Yes, cruel father, here lies the no
|bIe being that threw open your dungeon, that LEI
YOU safe through the connagration, that to tn