Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-03

said the Roman. "The guards are now
doubtless stationed in every part of the
palace. At the end of this tunnel, nicely
fitted stone eau be removed from the wall,
and the opening leads at once into the
cellar.
"Then why delays" asked the impa-
tient young Greek.
'Do you mark the peril?" returned
the Roman. CONSIDER We reach the
stone at the end of the tunnel, We remove
it, the opening is displayed, and then,
should there be guards, or other persons,
in the apartment, the only result is cap
ture the only fate, death.
the gladiator, impatiently. II tell thee,
tribune, if some sturdy Goth had in the
arena made my bones ache, as they ache
me now, from being in this cramped den,
l could have somc respect for the fellow !;
but if hide here much longer, l shall
havo no respect for myself.
''Have you counted the hazard in re-
moving tho stone, and meeting, possibly,
the guards ?" asked the tribune.
"Yes, SOsthenes responded and to
prove my assertion, will 90 first. -
"No; will lead, said the Roman.
Il can remove the stone easier and quicker
than yourself. Follow me, and be 81
lent.
Quietly they crept through the tunnel.
which was not more than dozen feet in
length, and in few moments the tribune
stopped, and said, in a low voice:
9 shall now remove the stone.
Saying which, he slowly pushed it out,
and it fell, with a dull thud, to the floor.
An instant later, the three men stood up
right in the apartment, prepared for any
attack. But fortune again favored them !;
for the cellar had no occupants. From q
small window, at the top of the wall, a
small amount Of light was admitted, and
the conspiratOrs were enabled to ascertain
that it was evening, and that the shadows
of night were falling.
"Thanks to your impatience, gladia-
tor, " said the Roman, 1--WE left tho pas.
sage at the right time. If that light de-
ceives me not too much, the emperor will
soon arrive from the circus, with his
guards and attendants, and then shall be
enacted greater play than what he there
beheld. But come, We dare not remain
here.
The perfect knowledge Of the intricate
ways beneath, and the apartments and
passages within, tho palace, which the
Roman possessed, made him able to avoid
those in which they were most liable to
meet with the imperial guards and at
tendants, and pursue only those best suited
to mitigate the peril of their situation.
Following the tribune, they. passed from
the cellar, through a narrow doorway, and
found themselves within q hallway, family
lighted by a window, at the extreme end.
NOiselessly they tr1versed its length, and
were on the point of entering another pass
age, when each felt a sudden and firm
hold upon his arm, and, turning quickly,
they beheld themselves in the grasp of
three powerful guards. But they were
not to be captured SO easily. Novel by
one impulse, each, ut the same moment,
tore from the grasp of the soldiers, who,
relying too much upon the idea of their
being taken unawares, were themselves
surprised, and received the dsegcrs of
their captives in their hearts.
swell done," whispered the tribune
hurriedly. "You follow me. We must
discover and gain admittance into the de-
partment in which the Grccian girl is con-
fined. Ere long the emperor will have ar
rived, and will go ut once to that apart
ment. We must be there to receive him.
Come.'
They glided into the passage at the
entrance of which they had been assailed ty
the guards, and discovering a flight of
stone stairs, they assembled them and
gained another hallway, more open and
prominent by its adornments III carving
and statues.
"Use double caution hcre," whispered
tho tribune, lyon door will admit us to 4
secret passage, that will lead us to
where they have secured the Grccian
maiden.'
With tho utmost carefulness they glided
over the marble floor and gained, unOb-
served, the secret way mentioned by the
Roman.
"But where" asked Sosthenes, as they
hurried swiftly along, "whero is Crcssida
prisoner, and how are we to gain ad-
admittance to the chamber?'
''If she is where think she is, VIC will
have no difficulty in making an entrance,
providing we reach there safely. A secret
passage, barely wide enough for a man to
pass in, to the apartment, which is en-
tered by door, the existence Of which, |
believe, no ono in the palace except myself
is conscious"
AS the tribune ceased speaking pain
full look came into the features of SOsthe-
arm, saying:
"Noble Roman, the gods seem to have
given the life of the emperor Carinus into
your hands. But you will not see him
alone. He is always strongly attended,
and the least attempt on your part to do
him harm will, even though yOu succeed
in killing him, be resented by the guards,
and your life Will not be 4 minute longer
than his whom you will have slain. For
ourselves, Aggeus and have sworn to
recuo the captured maiden, and restore
her to her fathers arms. One Of us may
fall cannot believe that both will. for
the gods must leave her one protector"
"Forsooth, we'll spoken" said Aggeus,
in q low voice. cit is not our plan to enter
the prison of the maid when it is filled
with attendants and guards, but to steal
her thence before they have arrived. For
myself l care not. dreamed last night
my Spartan mother beckOEcd ne from the
home of the gods above, and chantcd in
my ears the dirgc of old Thcrmopyl;r"
"Grceks, returned the tribune, sit is
too late now to rescue the maiden as you
had planned. We shall,,have barely time
to gain tho apartment before the emperor
comes. We will be sccretcd there at sig
nal from me you will rush forward, seize
the captive, and trust to the gods to es-
cape in the surprise and confusion. You
have spokan Of DEATH" he continued;
"know then, l have seen the last of
earth. Think you run a risk do not,
for see how all will happen. This
dagger shall scarce be in the heart of the
base Carinus, ere mine shall feel its