r in brave and earnest revolt? What
chance would a few hundred pampered pretorians have of staying the
flood? There, seated in fancied security upon their benches, will be the
emperor, the court, the nobles, and the most wealthy of the empire. In
one hour of action, we could sweep these away like chaff, together with
all else that is held most worthy of place and power in the whole
empire! And yet these thousand slaves will not rise up together with me,
and it will not be done!'

The head of the Hercules dropped upon his chest with a gesture of
despair.

'You say truly,' responded the other. 'It will not be done, for they
will not act with you. And what can you do alone?'

'Nothing--nothing; I see it all. I am powerless,' murmured the first.
'Well, I will be patient, and dissimulate. I will do as you request,
Gorgo. I will restrain myself. As for this man--this imperator--why
should I there wreak my vengeance upon him? It would only be giving to
the rest of the people an unlooked-for sight--a newer pleasure, that is
all. I will therefore act the part of a good and faithful slave--will
kiss the rod held over me--and will duly serve my master by slaying my
adversary, whoever he may be, and thus winning that store of gold pieces
which have been laid out as the stake of my life. And then--then I will
go home to my kennel and my bones. But this I swear, by the immortal
gods! that I will follow this man from house to forum, wherever he may
go, until I find a proper chance to strike him down in secret like a
dog. You were right. I must not lose my life to kill him, when I can so
easily slay him and yet live to slay other men as bad as he. My life is
for other things. And when the time comes that I can raise the standard
of insurrection, will you then--'

'Then I will be with you heart and soul forever, until our freedom is
built up on the ruins of this accursed Rome!' cried the other, striking
his hand responsively into the outstretched palm before him. And the two
men again took up their walk, and passed on until they were swallowed up
in the darkness and their voices, growing more and more indistinct, were
finally hushed.

THE VISION.

INSCRIBED TO TEACHERS TO CONTRABANDS IN THE SOUTH.

Lo! a picture came before me
Of a million broken chains,
Lying cankered with old blood-drops
Which had oozed from tortured veins,
Reddening the fleecy cotton
Snowed upon the Southern plains.

And the p