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

descended first, the tribune followed.
But Sosthenes, forgetting for a moment
his position, fingered to watch the heavy
door tremble from the blows of the sol
diers without. Then, like a flash, his dan
ger came to mind, and cropping for the
opening, he found, to his horror, the
stone returned to its customary position.
With strength rendered mighty by dis
pair, he pressed upon the slab, but it
weuld not yield. He glanced at the
door; it was falling. Already the lights
without cleaned through narrow open
ing, which had been effected by the assail-
ants. He redoubled his strength. The
ponderous door fell with crash. A
prayer to the gods; one more desperate
trial of strength he feels the stone move
and sink but the soldiers have entered
the dungeon.
CHAPTER II.
In the supreme hour of danger, cow
ard will meet death with despair brave
man will welcome it with honor; and,
while the former might sink from fear
alone, the latter disdains to fall, ere the
blows of his assailants have deprived him
of strength.
Sosthenes did not hope. nor did he de-
sire. for aught but death at the hands of
the Roman soldiers, since capture would
be worse than death. Conscious of the
fact that his t"o friends, Aggeus and the
tribune, were safe, and would be in posi-
ton to rescue the Grccian maiden, he
would have spurned tho thought, as un-
worthy of the valor and honor Of Greek,
were, though it might not be their duty,
Onrf oinlxy fhoir 1ociro To fofyn 80
life.
But fortune had otherwise designed.
Even as the first guard had crossed the
threshold of the doorway, the stone, by
which Ills friends had entered q passage
below, moved, and the instant score of
the pursucrs rushed into the dungeon, and
directly upon the end of the stone which
sufficient pressure would cause to sink, to
bravely meet the onset of his assailants,
it lowered with quick motion, dropping
the young Greek at the feet of his COM
panions, and rising to its usual position
with timeless rapidity.
''Thank the gods," exclaimed the tri.
bune "we had given you up for lost. {"
But the generous heart of the gladiator,
who never feared to face five combatants
Of equal strength and form in the arena,
and mock the dullness of their skill,
countryman, and, clasping him in his arms,
he embraced him with all the fondness Of
brother, and the admiration of Spar
tan.
81 tell thee, my boy, he cried, the
gods will give us full success. But, by
Jupiter, it took all the strength of a strong
gladiator, and a sturdy tribune, to get
that stone to move. Hear those ours
above. Think you," he continued, adj
dressing the tribune, "thero is danger Of
them entering here?"
s'NOnc, answered the Roman. "But
tell, young Greek how came you to re-
main behind? When Aggeus and my
self found ourselves here on this floor, l
presumed, not being able to see you in the
gloom, that you had entered with us. :"
81 scarce know myself, how it came
about, replied Sosthenes. II could dis
tinctly see your forms disappear through the
opening, but turned to look at the door,
and see it quiver, as the soldiers showered
| blows against it, and when, as l recalled
my peril, prepared to follow you, l
found, to my dismay, the stone replaced.
I abandoned all hope, when the soldiers
threw down the door and rushed toward
me, but at that instant felt the stone
sink beneath me-
"Why, that is propitious, " exclaimed
the tribune. "NO ono in the palace
knows of the existence of that means OF
escape from the dungeon, and their
keenest scrutiny will ldevclOp them nothing,
for the stone fits so nicely and naturally,
that its mechanism cannot he observed.
The soldiers will, therefore, attribute your
strange disappearance to the sudden i'll
terposition Of the gods. They will be
misled by the notion, and, although they
will watch faithfully, they will consider it
useless to search further for us.
! ForsOoth, it was thon good thing, -
said Aggeus, and your delay, Sosthenes,
served us a good turn. But what, Roman,
is your plan ~
"This," returned the tribune. "We
must remain here until evening, when the
emperor will return from the games. We
will go then from here, by secret ways, OF
which know, to the upper part Of the
palace, and, with the aid of the divine
gods, We shall succeed in our designs.
But your purpose in being here, what
is it ?" asked Sosthenes. "Is it only to
aid US in rescuing this Greek girl?'
NO., " returned the Roman, quickly
81 do 4 deed to day that shall make Rome
joy and dread.'
"You do not mean the emperor, " said
SOsthenes, increduously.
"You are Greeks, returned the tri-
bune, "therefore can tell you." He
paused, and seemed to labor under strong
emotions /; at length he resumed:
"Along tho banks of the Tyber, lived
in careless peace. A villa, beautitied by
nature, and adorned by art, nesting among
thick blooming trees, and wife, as beau
tiful and good, as the gods have ever
| given to man, were mine. But miserable
emperor despoiled the honor Of my home,
and have sworn revenge. Yes, this day
shall Carinus die. -
The voice of tho tribune was fierce and
bitter, and although in the darkness the
Greeks were unable to sec his face, they
felt the anguish of his soul.
A silence, which men in peril most pre-
fer, fell upon the group, and slowly the
weary hours of the day dragged on. The
Roman burned with impatience for the
evening that should bring him the mo
| ment of his revenge. To Sosthenes the
mind the impotent grief Of the aged Patro-
clus, mourning for his stolen daughter, and
pOwerless to save her from harm. But
when he thought of her in her danger, his
impat:ence knew no check, and he paced
the dark and narrow passage, with a
fiercer restlessncss than a newly captured
lion in his cage. For he had followed the
captive maiden, not merely because she
was Greek. and his honor could not
leave her to her fate, but because she was