The Labor enquirer., 1883-10-20

hand, not onlysbut thy whole house, Thy
wife and thy children would be sacri
feed upon blazing funeral pyres to my
ghost%' 3IHT JhiNiF3Q13Er,
"The earth can hide the Spartan
bones as secretly. as the 4 Helot's," an
swered my foe: "Begone, young and un
fieshed in slaughter as you are; why
make war upon YmePg My death car
give you neither gold nor glory. H | have
never harmed thee orthine.s How much
of the air and sun does this form take
from the descendent of the Hericlida
! Whv, proud wolf it is upon the labor o.
my class that ye live and thrive, Youl
body has been nourished to its fail
strength upon the blood and misery o.
those whom love. 1t iswe who sustain
you in your pride. Begone, 1 say, and
leave me-" TO :. f1.tt
Thrice hast thou raised revolt among
the Helots ;'thrice at thy voice have they
risen in bloody, though fruitless strife,
against their masters"
= Not at my voice, but that Of the two
deities who are the war-gods of slaves
Persecution and Despair"
Impatient of this parley, tarried no
longer, sprang upon the Helot. He
evaded my sword, and soon found that
all my agility and skill were requisite to
save me from the massive weapon, one
blow of which would have sufficed to
crush me- But the Helot seemed to
stand ON the defensive, and continued to
back toward the wood from which had
emerged. Fearful lest he would escape
me, pressed hard on his s-footsteps. My
blood grew warm. My fury got the bet
ter of my prudence. My foot stumbled
I recovered in an instant, and, looking
up, beheld the terrible club suspended
over my head it might have fallen, but
the stroke of death was withheld. The
merciful delay filled me with rage and
hatred-I to take mercy from slave
No, by all the gods The lifted arm
left the body of my enemy exposed. |
struck him on the side; the life blood
flowed.
Afraid then to draw back within the
reach of his weapon, threw myself up
on him, and grappled at his throat. We
rolled Oh the earth together ;'it was but
a moments struggle. Strong as | was
even in boyhood, the Helot would have
been match for Alcides A shade
passed over my eyes, my breath heaved
short. The slave was kneeling on my
breast, and dropping the blub, he drew a
short knife from his girdle. Igazed up
on him grim and mute. | was conquered
and | cared not for the rest.
The blood from his side, as he bent
over me, fell in gouts and splashes upon
my face.
And this blood, ;" said the Helot, "you
shed in the very moment when I-spared
your life such is the honor of a Spar
tan. DO you not deserve to die ?'
Yes, for am subdued, and by a slave.
Strike"
"There,7 said the Helot in melan-
choly and altered tone, there speaks the
soul of a man of courage. There is
voiced trait of character which your
fatal race have stolen from ours, your
slaves. 0, Spartan, see ye not that this
spark of manhood, contempt of death,
has been robbed by you from us? That
the ease from which our toll gives you,
enables you to cultivate the virtues of
the gods and heroes? 0, doubly ought
you to die. But proud Spartan, know
also, that others can rise, though they be
slaves, to greater and more noble heights
than thine. Tyrant and drone, from the
pinnacle of Mercy and Pity, the slave
looks down ON you and bids You rise
and live. Go, spare your life "
He lifted his knee from my breast and
I arose.
At that instant | heard the crashing OF
the leaves in the wood, for the air was
exceedingly still. Then through the
brake burst my companions.
Hola That moment We were upon
him, and as he fell stabbed by twenty
glaives, it was my sword that pierced hls
servile throat and turning in the wounc
ripped out the base born tongue tina
dared to mock its master
EDWARD BULwER, ORD LITToN.