Help!"

At the same time he seized one of the lances in his shield, tore it
out, and threw. The Moor at the right of the Tribune cried out and fell
dead to the ground.

"I will throw him down; thou, sir, stab him!" cried the other. It was
Himilco, the centurion.

"With the leap of the panther of his native deserts, he now sprang at
the throat of the German; but, quick as lightning, Liuthari had drawn
the short knife from his shoulder-belt. He thrust it into the brow
between the eyes of his assailant. The brown, muscular arms which had
seized the German's two shoulders as with the claws oL a beast of prey,
loosened; without a sound the African fell backwards. But Liuthari had
not time to draw out the deeply imbedded dagger-blade.

"Haduwalt! Help!" cried he loudly.

For already the third enemy, a most formidable opponent, had rushed
upon him.

With a powerful sword-stroke he cleaved Liuthari's shield so that it
split into two halves, and, with the clinging spears, fell right and
left from his arm.

And the Roman had, at the same time, stuck the sharp iron spike in the
centre of his convex shield, deep into the naked right arm of the
king's son: the blood spurted out. He recoiled several steps from the
weight of the blow, nearly stumbling over the stone slabs.

The furious enemy, well armed both for defence and offence, now stepped
victoriously into the entrance, pushing aside with his foot the two
halves of the shield, that his adversary should not draw out the
spears.

With a keen look the Roman measured his adversary, who now drew his
last weapon, the short-handled battle-axe, from his girdle, and raised
it to strike. The towering stature of the young German must have seemed
fearful to the Roman, in spite of the superiority of his arms.

"Why should we tear each other to pieces, barbarian? Why dost thou
protect this house so grimly? I will not contest it with thee; I will
leave it to thee as soon as I have taken out one single thing."

"What thing? something belonging to thee? Thou art not the master of
the house."

"I will leave thee the house. I come only for--a woman."

"_Thy_ wife? Felicitas? No! she is not thine"

Furiously the other cried: "What? Thou art already so intimate in the
house! But neither is Felicitas _thy_ wife; and shall not become so.
Felicitas shall be _mine_!"

"Never!" cried Liuthari, and he sprang forward and dashed his stone
battle-axe against the magnificent bronze helmet