The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-03-04
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rior skill to the young man by striking
down the rushing tigers as they were on
the point Of doing their faniish work.
He we'll knew how doubly terrible Death
becomes when, bafiled for a while, he re.
news. his soul chilling attack upon the
victim. Alittle suspense, an arlful shit
ting .of the time and The means OF death
would seem to be ofthe essence OF q per
''feotly thrilling catastrophe.
And now the end was near. All aronnd
THAT vast space, tier above tier, the pallid
faces Of the spectators rose to a dizzy
height, seeming by their ghastly glow to
blend strange light with the fierce glare
OF the aambesux, SO intense was their
Excitement Every soul in that multi
tude was for the time suspended above
the .abysm OF destruction, realizing the
! lfeebleness Of Life, the potency o. Desth.
| CommoduS 1rdu his bow with tfetncn.
dous power, fetching the cord back TO
his breast, where for moment 1t was
held without the faintest quiver OF Q
muscle. His eyes. we're fixed, and cold
as steel The polished broad head OF
the arrow shone like a diamond One
would have thought that the breathing
of breath could have been heard across
the Circus
While yet the pink fush burned on the
delicate ear of the girl, and while the
hush of the Circus deepeued infinitely
out rang the low note of the great weap
on's fecoil The arrow fairly shrleked
through the air, 80 swift was its fight.
What words can ever suggest an ides
of the torture crowded into that point
Of time hetwixt the ringing OF the bow
cord and the striking Of the arrows
The youth, particularly, was shaker
with sadden wild ecstasy Of horror. =
As when a whirlwind, leaping from
balmy summer calm, stirs sleeping
pool into a white. fosmed spiral Hood, sc
Death had at last torn up the fountain o
his soul 1t wasmore than death wher
the arrow had done its work with her.
The girl, thrilled with ineffable pain
flung up her white arms above her head
the rent thongs hving away in the par
oxvsm of her final struggle. Hers wa
a slight body, and the arrow, not per
ceptibly impeded by the mark, struck IL
the sand beyond, and glancing Themes
whired far away and rangion the brick
of the spina Something like divin
smile flashed across her face along will
a startling pallor.
Again the bow string rang, and tn
arrow Ieaped away to its thrilling work
What a surge the youth made! II wa
as il Death had charged him with omni
poteuce for the second The cord leap
ed from his wrists he clasped the fall
ing girl in his embrace. All eyes say
the arrow hurtling along the sand, afte
its mission was done. A suppresse
moan from q multitude OF lips filed tn
calm air OF the Circus
Locked for one brief moment in eacl
others arms, the quivering victims wa
vered on their feet then sank down mp
ION the ground Cummodus stood lils
Fate, leaning forward to note the pei
fectness OF his execution. His eye
blazed with the eager, heartless fire 9
triumph.
!: Now, here is the denoumens. Even th
, most exacting modern critic could in
!. nothing further to desire in the catastrt
phe of tragedy. The fated lovers la
in awful agony, locked in the strong en-
} brace OF deathless passion. No han
dared separate them; no lip dared whis
per them a last farewell Tee plac
might have been a vast tomb, for all th
sign of life it contained The circles {
, countless faces were like those of th
dead
The two tigers lay in their blood wheI
they had fallen, each with a broad heac
ed afrow through the spinal cord, at th
point of its jnncture with the brain Th
ernperor's aim had been absolutely a.
curate Instant paralysis and quick deaf
had followed his shots. s.,24
But the browning event OF the occ'
, sion was revealed at the last. s
Pale and wild eyed, their faces pinche
! and shriveled, the youth and the mai
( started, With painful totterings and wes
I clu,cbings al the air, and writhed to the
E feet, where they stood staring at eae
t other in a way to chill the blood of an
! observer Then, as il attracted by som
: irresistible fascination, they turned the
. mute, sdnken faces toward Commodu
!, What look! Why did it not free,
$ him dead where he stoodf o paitasi'
E ,"Lead them out and set them free!
Icried the emperor, in loud, heartle'
e voice "Lea6 them out, and tell it e
erywhere that Commodus is the Incon
!. parable Bowman!" g sis'
) And then, when all at once it was di
a covered that he had not hurt the lover
j. but had merely cut in two with bis q
), rows the cords that hound their wrist
|. great stir began, and out from myri'
J. of overjoyed and admiring hearts leap'
i a storm OF thanks, while with clash al
i. bray Of musical instruments, and wi
e voices like the voices OF winds and ses
!. and with a clapping OF hands like 4
]. rending roar OF tempests, the vast aut
e ence arose as one person and applaude
e the emperor!