The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-05-16

me go hence and work out my doomi Let
me 90, @, thou fair shamei thou living Lie
| whom have loved to my doom, and who
hast brought upon me the last curse of
dooml Let me hide myself and see thy face
no morer
She rose in her wrath, and terrible she
was to see.
"Let thee go to stir rp evil against met
| Nay, Harmachis, thou shalt not go to build
| new plots against my thronel say to thee
| that thou, too, shalt come to visit Antony
| in Cilicia, and there, perchance, / will let
thee gol' And ere could answer, she had
struck upon the silver gong that hung nigh
to where she was.
Ere its rich echo had died away there
entsred from one door Charmion and the
waiting women, and from the other allie Of
gusrds-four Of them of the Queens body
guard, mighty men, with winged helmets
and long, fair hair.
"Seize that traitorr' cried Cleopatra,
pointing to me- The Captain of the guard
it was Brennus-saluteda and came toward
me with drawn sword.
But /, being mad and desperate, and little
caring if they slew me, flew straight at his
throat, and dealt him such a heavy blow
that the great man fell headlong and his
armor clasbed upon the marble floor. And
as he fell / seized bis sword and target and,
meeting the next, who rushed on me with a
shout, caught his blow upon the shield. and
in answer smote with all my strength.
The sword fell where the neck is set
into the shoulder and shearing through the
joints of his harness slew him, so that his
knees were loosened and he sank down
dead. And the third, as he came,
l caught upon the point of my
sword before he could strike, and it
pierced him and he died. Then the last
rushed on me with cry of ''Taranisr' and
/, too, rushed on him, for my blood was
afiame. And the women shrieked, only
Cleopatra said naught, but stood and
watched the unequal fray. We met and
struck with all my strength, and mighty
blow it was, for the sword shore through
the iron shield and shattered there, leaving
me weaponless. With shout of triumph
the guard swung up his sword and smote
down upon my head, but with my shield I
caught the blow. Again he smote, and again
parried; but when third time he raised
his sword I saw this might not endure, so
with cry hurled my buckler at his face.
CHANGING from his shield 1t struck him on
the breast and staggered him. Then, before
he could regain his balance, rushed in be-
tween his guard and gripped him round the
middle. For full minute the tall man and
struggled furiously, and then, so great
was my strength in those days, 1 lifted him
like toy and dashed him down upon the
marble floor in such fashion that his bones
were shattered so that he spake no more.
But could not save myself and fell upon
him, and as l fell the Captain Brennus,
whom l had smitten to earth with my fist,
having once more found his sense, came up
behind me and smote me sore upon the
head and shoulders with the sword of one
of those whom 1 had slain. But being on
the ground the blow fell not with all its
weight, also my thick hair and broidered
cap broke its force; and thus it came to pass
that, though sore wounded, the life was yet
whole in me. But no more could struggle.
Then the cowardly eunuchs, who had gath
cred at the sound of blows, and stood
huddled together like herd of cattle, see-
ing that l was spent, threw themselves
upon me, and would have slain me with
their knives But Brennus, now that / was
down, would strike no more, but stood
waiting. And the eunuchs had surely
slain me, for Cleopatra stood like one who
watches in dream and made no sign. AL
ready was my head dragged back and their
knife points at my throat, when Charmion,
rushing forward, threw herself upon me,