the soldiers. Amid
their open ranks he picked his way, sprang over the ropes which guarded
the arena, and advanced towards the Emperor, until a spear at his breast
warned him that he must go no nearer. Then he sunk upon his right knee
and called out some words in the Gothic speech.

"Great Jupiter! Whoever saw such a body of a man!" cried the Emperor.
"What says he? What is amiss with the fellow? Whence comes he, and what
is his name?"

An interpreter translated the Barbarian's answer. "He says, great Caesar,
that he is of good blood, and sprung by a Gothic father from a woman of
the Alani. He says that his name is Theckla, and that he would fain
carry a sword in Caesar's service."

The Emperor smiled. "Some post could surely be found for such a man,
were it but as janitor at the Palatine Palace," said he to one of the
Prefects. "I would fain see him walk even as he is through the forum. He
would turn the heads of half the women in Rome. Talk to him, Crassus.
You know his speech."

The Roman officer turned to the giant. "Caesar says that you are to come
with him, and he will make you the servant at his door."

The Barbarian rose, and his fair cheeks flushed with resentment.

"I will serve Caesar as a soldier," said he, "but I will be house-servant
to no man--not even to him. If Caesar would see what manner of man I am,
let him put one of his guardsmen up against me."

"By the shade of Milo this is a bold fellow!" cried the Emperor. "How
say you, Crassus? Shall he make good his words?"

"By your leave, Caesar," said the blunt soldier, "good swordsmen are too
rare in these days that we should let them slay each other for sport.
Perhaps if the Barbarian would wrestle a fall----"

"Excellent!" cried the Emperor. "Here is the Python, and here Varus the
Lictor, each stripped for the bout. Have a look at them, Barbarian, and
see which you would choose. What does he say? He would take them both?
Nay then he is either the king of wrestlers or the king of boasters, and
we shall soon see which. Let him have his way, and he has himself to
thank if he comes out with a broken neck."

There was some laughter when the peasant tossed his sheep-skin mantle to
the ground and, without troubling to remove his leathern tunic, advanced
towards the two wrestlers; but it became uproarious when with a quick
spring he seized the Greek under one arm and the Roman under the other,
holding them as in a vice. Then with a terrific effort h