The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-08-31
KARL AND TARPUS.

N All AM w.
Karl knelt down and took steady aim.
Then came a fash and a report, and al
most simultaneously with the rebound
of his immense rifle the huge, crouching
%1ioness, the black ~lioness, hurled herself
upon him. He was borne down as if by
an avalanche.
He had missed. Why? For this rea-
SON: AS he aimed between her eyes out
of them flashed a strange, strange light
that quivered the core of his being; a
light that unnerved his hand and with
cred his desire to kill.
And it smote him not with fear-for
Karl had slain many lions, and his
nerves were as steel-but it smOte him
with sudden, overwhelming remorse.
Thus he, the mighty hunter, was
shaken and made to send his bullet fly
ing wide.
And he lay in the grip of death.
Though he felt that his end had come.
he had that clearness and poise Of mind
which come i'll supreme moments.
The noisome breath of the lioness
burned his face as he lay crushed into
the sand by her weight. He was wait
ing, with eyes closed, for the beginning
Of the end, that hideous beginning, but
a calm was in his soul, a strange calm.
He felt at rest, at peace.
There was a pause. Suddenly the lion
snarled, and Karl opened his eyes.
All, again that weird, reproaching
light It streamed from the glaring, yell
low eyes. Into their depths he gazed
and gazed till his mind partly left him.
No more he thought of death.
And now tho eyes became q piercing
blaze of light, which grew and grew till
Karl saw before him a broad, shining
space.
In the distance flashed a scene. And
the soul of thu hunter flew toward it.
This was tie scene:
Humans filled a vast amphitheater.
They shook it shouting. Fearsome was
this shouting, wen as the howl OF a
myriad pack Of wolves. On the faces
was the look of glee-that glee indie
scribable-that comes when the passion
for blood splitting fills the soul.
This passion was upon all-all, from
emperor to slave. Man was transformed
to a human wolf. The wish to kill or
see killed linked, bound all.
The impulse of Cain made all akin.
It was a feast day to the gods in
Rome, and a mighty, yelling multitude
had gathered together to do them hon.
age by seeing a man fight with and kill
a man, by seeing a man wait for the
signal that might bid him drive his
gladius into the heart of a beloved COM
rade, by seeing a man fight with a beast.
Their gods We're honored by the flowing
and flying Of blood. Huge, huge sport tC
watch it And yonder Nero sat, swathed
in purple. His eyes cleaned as he wit.
messed the glorious sport.
Prolonged was the shouting, because
Tarpus, a favorite gladiator, had just
killed, in single combat, with the gladi'
us, his third man. He was now about
to fight yonder Nulnidian lioness. She
was striving to burst the bars Of hel
cage, fer she had been without food fol
three days.
A fine fellow was Tarpus. with wav
ing, yellow hair that hung afar dow
his back. Frank was lis face. bold wa
the glance Of his blue eye, and he wa
great Of stature.
And Karl was Tarpus.
"Curse the Roman COwards!' tn
gladiator muttored as he waited, heed
less aud reaentful e the ovation lie wa
receiving, for the black lionoas to be la
81. l. --,... +A,. az-.-sa Gov - .'sn1~ +I,
I vhoyel the c.ufl maa..-;o that bad
ne s-.y l4v cor5I80c, Diy.ro-Davorl
NI.o rIskta Lis life for r.:nc in the cam
pl.gu. But he smiled IN my face, IS
bent over Inn, and said, strike deer
~ Lurpu>, If thou lowest met and
drove tie null G my blade through ii.
heart. Oh, ], of all meu-I, who love
him, thus to have slain him! Oh, II
fght-the f9ht--it is with me yet. ID,
voro, who was bound to Inc by ties %
closer than the ties Of blood, stands b.
fore me, his gIadIus III hand. We eros
blades, out Cur eyes meet not, and Il
before / know aught, he Is lying ON Il
sand beneath ne, While | stand Ger Ii,
VIII upI-tta1 blade. Then / look up
gender set Of coward faces, and s.
thumbs which Ho!at downWcrd. Ay
around ana around / look, hat from L
SEES the vile gestures cone, croWdin,
y,~whelm;ns NY soul. They bid ne
Stay. And then DayorO's voice rings
my ear, as he lies PROSTATE, bidding II
to falter not, but kill him swiftly. Oh
A2l the face of Tarpus was softcned IL
sad ms he looked across the blood re-
dened sand of the arena to TIE pla
where his comrade lay III death.