The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-01
THELAgT DAYS OF pom DEIl
By EDWARD BULWER LYTTON
BY O. N

"'Glaucus the Athenian, thy time
has come said a loud and clear voice;
the lion awaits thee
81 am ready said the Athenian
He had bent his limbs so as to give
himself the firmest posture at the ex-
pected rush of the lion, with his small
and shining weapon raised on high, in
the faint hope that one welldirected
thrust might penetrate through the
eye to the brain of his grim foe.
But to the unutterable astonish
ment of all, the beast seemed not even
aware of the presence of the crimi-
nal. At the first moment Of its re-
lease it halted abruptly in the arena,
raised itself half on end shutting the
upward air with impatient signs; then
suddenly 1t Sprang forward, but not
on the Athenian. At half-Speed 1t cir
cled round and round the space, turn
ing its vast head from side to side
with an anxious and perturbed gaze,
as if seeking only some avenue of es-
cape; once or twice 1t endeavored to
leap I'D the parapet that divided it
from the audience, and, on failing,
uttered rather baffled howl than its
deep-toned and kingly roar. 1t
evinced no sign either of wrath or
hunger; it's tail dropped along the
sand, instead of lashing its gaunt
sides; and its eye, though it wandered
at times to Glaucus, rolled against
listlessly from him. At length, as if
tired of attempting to escape, it crept
with a moan into its cage, and once
more laid itself down to rest.
THE first surprise of the assem-
bly, at the apathy of the lion soon
grew into resentment at its coward
ice; and the populace already merged
their pity for the fate of Glaucus into
angry compassion for their own dis
appointment. The manager called to
the keeper:
How is this? Take a goad, prick
him forth, and then close the door of
the den,
"As the keeper, with some fear, but
more astonishment, was preparing to
obey, loud cry was heard at one of
| the entrances of the arena; there was
a confusion, a hustle, voices Of re-
nonstrance suddenly breaking forth,
and suddenly Sallust appeared on the
! senatorial benches, his hair dishev'
elled, breathless, heated, half exhaust
ed. He cast his eyes hastily around
| the ring. Remove the Athenian,' he
cried: haste, he is innocent, Arrest
Arbaces the Egyptian: HE is the muir
derer Of Apaecides:'
Art thou mad 0 Sallust' said
the praetor. rising from his seat
| What means this raving?'
| Remove the Athenian, Quick or
his blood be on your head. Praetor
! delay, and you answer with your own
, life to the emperor | bring with me
| the eyewitness to the death of the
priest Apaecides. Room there.
stand back, Give way, People OF
Pompeii, fix every eye upon Arbaces
there he sits, Room there for the
priest Calenus.'
pale, haggard, fresh from the
jaws of famine and of death, his face
fallen, his eyes dull as vulture's, his
broad frame gaunt as skeleton, Ca
lenus was supported into the very
row in which Arbaces sat. His re
leasers had given him sparingly o.
food; but the chief sustenance tina
nerved his feeble limbs was revenge
The priest Calenus. Calenus !.
cried the mob is it he? No, it is {
dead mani
ct is the priest Calenus,' said thu
praetor, gravely. What hast thou t
say?
"'Arabaces of Egypt is TIE murde
of Apaecides, the priest OF Isis; thes'
eyes saw him deal the blow. 1t il
from the dungeon into which h
plunged me, it is from the darkness
and horror of death by famine, tina
the gods have raised me to proclaim
his crime. Release the Athenian-h
is innocent
alt is for this then, that the liol
, spared him. A miracle, a miracle.
cried PanSa.
GA miracle, a miracle" shouted
the people; remove the Athenian-
Arbaces to the lion.
The power of the praetor was a
a reed beneath the whirlwind still
at his word the guards had draw
themselves along the lower benches
, on which the upper classes sat sepa
rate from the vulgar. They made bu
a feeble barrier; the waves of tn
human set halted for a moment, to er
f able Arbaces to count the exact me
ment OF his doom In despair, and il
a terror which beat down even pride
he glanced his eyes over the rollin
and rushing crowd, when, right abov
t them, through the wide chasm whic
, had been left in the velaria, he be
held strange and awful apparition
he beheld, and his craft restored hi
: courage,
He stretched his hand on high; o1
er his lofty brow and royal feature
there came an expression of unutters
BILE solemnity and command
! Behold" he shouted with a vote
, Of thunder which stilled the roar c
the crowd; behold how the gods pre-
tect the guiltless. The fires Of tn
! avenging Orcus burst forth agains
. the false witness OF my accusers!'"
, The fires of the "avenging Orcus
were those of the great eruption {
lVesuvius in 70 A. D. Toward such