corner. The moment the beast saw him he charged at full-run, screaming
like an angry gander, the picture of a man-killer, ears laid back,
nostrils wide and red, mouth open, teeth bared, forehoofs lashing out high
in front, an equine fury. The lad vaulted the fence handily when Selinus
was not three yards from him and the brute pawed angrily at the palings
and bit them viciously.

"Want to try, Felix?" the _Villicus_ asked me again.

Without a word I vaulted the enclosure within two yards of Selinus. He
stood, ears cocked forward, nostrils quiet, mouth shut, all four hoofs on
the ground, quivering all over.

Inch by inch I neared him till my hand touched him. He trembled like an
aspen-leaf, but did not attack me.

"Hercules be good to us all!" exclaimed one of the men.

After that I did with Selinus all I had done with the first stallion-colt,
gentling him, leading him by the nose, mounting him, riding him, crawling
under his belly, between his fore-legs and hind-legs, pulling his tail,
slapping him liberally all over. Then, timidly, urged by their comrades'
jeers, the two wranglers whom I invited brought me a saddle and bridle and
I bitted him and held him while they saddled. Then I rode him.

Afterwards, with much misgiving, but shamed into boldness, the chief
horse-wrangler mounted him and rode him.

Selinus was tamed!

"Felix," said the _Villicus_, "you are too valuable to set to herding
cattle. You are henceforward chief horse-wrangler of this estate. I'll
give you a house all to yourself and a girl to keep house for you. When
not horse taming here or wherever I lend you out, you can spend your time
as you please."

The onlookers acclaimed his award and the displaced chief horse-wrangler
shook hands with me and declared that he was proud to be second to such a
wonder as "Felix the Wizard."

After that I lived a life of ease. My dwelling was a neat cottage well
shaded with fine trees and bowered in climbing vines, with a tiny
courtyard, a not too tiny atrium with a hearth, a kitchen, a store-room
and two bed-rooms. It was as clean as possible and well furnished for a
slave's quarters. The girl and I liked each other at first sight. I am not
going to tell her name, but a jest we had between us led me to call her by
the pet name of Septima. If she had been a free-woman, she would have been
described as a young widow. Her former mate, one of the horse-wranglers,
had been killed by Selinus the previous autum