The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-07-11


every opportunity
Treyes, the fourth city Of the EN-.
pire, possessed a circus which was
outranked In size and splendor by
those Of a good score. The climate.
soil, and The political conditions gave
the people much worl, and compare.
lively little time or money for amuse.
ment. Yet the amphitheatre held six.
~ thousand persons. The games were
20 be magnificent that day The Pre-
feet was giving them out on his private
income and he himself was to be
editor
Conspicuous among the ladies in
their seats at the Projects left was his
wife. Some years before she had been
with her husband in a small garrison
town on the Rhine when he was sur
prised and surrounded by a vast horde
of Germans. Throughout the seige that
followed she had shown such skill ana
courage In aiding the wounded, in
directing relief sallies az critical mo-
ments, and even I'm exhortlng the men
on the walls that the Emperor had
conferred on her the right to wear the
purple cloak of a cavalry officer. Con
sequently, she shone among the
women, for light pale hues were that
year the fashion in feminine dress.
The procession of all the partici-
pants commenced A British and
Scythian chariot, which were to race
against each other without more com
petitors, attracted much attention,
with their eontrasted teams and driY-
ers from the utmost West and East
None Of those entered for any other
event excited so much interest as did
the 80 gladiators whose combat
was to close the days show. They
were to fight in pairs, sixteen on each
side OF the arena, and the victor of
each pair was to face the victor
nearest him, and the victors we're thus
to pair off and fight again till only
one remained. All were armed and he'll
melted with hidden faces The favor
lite in the, betting was a professional
from Rome, a Roman by race, and d
fighter whose fame had spread through
the empire. He now appeared. st
Treyes for the first time. The only
man seriously backed to win against
him was a big Gaul, also we'll known,
and one who had beaten many an adj
yersary. At the very first sight Of the
80, these favorites were well liked
but most of all was interest. centered
in a graceful well-knit yOungsteF, one
Of the last pair, as they marched along
in the procession. 1t was whispered
that he was a Greek. Greek gladiat-
ors were rare in any part of the en-
pire, and it was years since one had
fought at Treves. This man had that
bearing which wins sympathy, and in
few moments half the men AMI all
the women were talking of him
and wishing him good luck Not much
betting was done in his favor but
even the hackers Of other contestants
inwardly hoped or openly wished that
he might get off easily if defeated
The show passed off much like ether
shows. One animal fight which was
wholly novel at Treves was that of
herd of some fifty dog-faced balloons
against successive single large beasts,
of which they disposed with surpris-
ing celebrity. A beautiful leopard. chi
We'd all about the sand Dy these grin
ming manlike devils, made desperate
efforts to escape. She essayed a pro-
digious leap out of the arena and
clutched the parapet from which she
sprang into the seats of the German
chieftains This created some, excite
ment, and a hurricane of cheers when
one blonde, pink-skinned young giant
of them, his blood scattering his fell
lows, deliberately strangled her to
death in spite Of her clawings and
hurled the carcass back into the en-
closure.
At last came the thirty-two of whom
thirty-one might die. The Roman was
among the sixteen on the side beneath
the ladies benches. The young Greek
and the Gaul were on the other side,
below the seats Of the Germans. In
the first round the Gaul was over-con-
fident, and suffered a flesh-Wound in
the knee He won his bout, and so
did the Greek and the Roman. 1t be-
fell so that for the last round save one
the Roman survived, cool and I'M
wounded, and the young Greek faced
the Gaul OF the defeated men who
We're merely wounded, some had been
spared, and some dispatched, accord
ing to the favor or disfavor of the
spectators nearest them.
The Romans adversary grappled