Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-28
O,happy Sleep!'
The Doom OF Claudius and Cynthia.
MAURICE THOMPSON.

of the Emperor Commodus. Especially
DESTROYS of being accounted the best
swordsman and the most fearless gladia-
tor in Rome, he still better enjoyed the
reputation of being the Incompatible
archer. With view to this, he had as
siduously trained himself so as to be able,
in various. public places, to give startling
exhibitions Of his skill with the bow and
arrows. No archer had ever been able
to compete with him. This being true,
it can well be understood how Claudius,
by publicly boasting that he was better
archer than Commodus had brought upon
himself the calamity of a public execu-
ton Claudius and. his bride had been
arrested together at their nuptial feast
and dragged to separate dungeons to
await the emperor's will.
The rumor was abroad in Rome that
on a certain night startling scene would
be enacted in the Circus. That the sight
would be blood curdling in the last de-
gree was taken by every one for granted
Emissaries of Commodus had Industrious
ly sown about the streets hints too vague
to take definite form, calculated to arouse
great interest The result was that on
the night in question, the vast building
was crowded at an early hour.
Ali the seats were filled with people
eager to witness some narrowing scene of
death. Commodus himself, surrounded
by great number of his favorites, sat On
a high, richly cushioned throne prepared
for him about midway one side Of the vast
inclosure All was still, as if the multi
tude were breathless with expectancy.
Presently, out from one of the openings
young man and a young woman-a
mere girl-their hands bound behind
them, were led forth upon the stand of
the arena and forced to walk around the
entire circumference of the place.
The youth was tall and nobiy beautiful;
a very Hercules in form, an Apollo in
grace and charm of movement. The girl
was petite and lovely beyond compare.
His hair was blue black and crisp, and
young, soft beard curled over his cheek
and lips Her hair was pure gold, falling
to her feet and trailing behind her as she
walked. His eyes were dark and proud,
hers gray and deep as those of goddess.
Both were nude, excepting short kirtle
reaching to near the knee. They seemed
roundiugs, all bewildered and dazzled by
the situation.
At length the giant circuit was COM
pleted and the two were left standing on
the sand, distant about one hundred and
twenty feet from the emperor, who now
arose and in a loud voice said:
ssBehold the condemned Claudius and
Cynthia, whom he lately took for his
wife. This youth and this girl have not
yet pressed the nuptial couch. They
never will They are condemned to
death for the great folly of Claudius, that
the Roman people may know that Com
modus reigns supreme. The crime for
which they are to die is great one.
Claudius has publicly proclaimed that he
is better archer than l, Commodus, am.
am the emperor and the incompatible
archer of Rome. Whoever disputes it
dies and his wife dies with him. 1t is
decreed."
But it was enough to touch the heart
of even Roman to see the tender inno-
cence of that fair girls face as she turned
it up in speeches., fearless appealing
grief and anguish to her husbands. Her
pure bosom heaved and quivered with
the awful terror generated within. The
youth, erect and powerful, set his thin
lips firmly and kept his eyes looking
straight out before him. Among the on
lockers many knew him as trained
athlete, and especially as an almost I'M
erring archer They knew him, too, as
brave soldier, true friend, an honorable
citizen. Little time remained for such
reflections as naturally might have arisen,
for Immediately large cage, containing
two fiery-eyed and famished tigers, was
brought into the Circus and placed before
the victims. The hungry beasts were
excited to madness by the smell Of fresh
blood smeared upon the bars Of the cage
for that purpose. They growled and
howled, tapping their FIERY tongues and
plunging against the door.
The poor girl leaned her head against
the naked breast of her lover and uttered
thin, short wall. His eyes did not
change their firm stare, but the mighty
muscles Of his arms rolled up and CULVER
ed as he strained at the thongs in an ex-
fort to burst them, and his lips writhed
into each other. He was beginning to
realize that death was near him-and ah
near herl If only his hands were free
and his good sword within reach, how
ioyfully he would battle for her against
all the tigers in the world! But this GER
tain death, how could he bear it? These
beasts to MUNICH her tender body and deli
cate limbs!-her true heart to culver in
their fangs! How supremely bitter
thing to helplessly contemplate! And
she,-the trembling lily by his side-she
thought only of him, as the man who kept
the beasts began from his safe place on
the high cage to unfasten the door and
thus let loose Death. Four long bounds
of those agile monsters would bear them
to the victims. Slowly the iron bolts
were withdrawn and the door swung
round Nothing but thin air lay between
the hungry red mouths and the nude, de-
fenceless bodies. For some moments the
tigers did not move. excepting that they
seemed rather to writhe crouching from
the develish deed they were appointed to
accomplish. There was no shrinking in
their bloodshot eyes, however, and their
slight recoil was but to gather themselves
for the rush to the feast.
A murmur ran all around that vast
ellipse--a murmur of remomstrance and
disgust; for now every one saw that the
spectacle was to be foul murder with
out even the show of struggle. The
alert eyes of Commodus were bent upon
the crouching.beasts. At the same time
he noted well the restlessness and disap-
pointment of the people. He understood
his subjects and knew how to excite
them. He was preparing to do a deed by
which he hoped to elicit great applause: