ble. Death and terror seemed hovering in the air. The throng,
usually gladsome, became moody under the influence of hate and silence.
Faces had a sullen expression.

Now the prefect gave a sign. The same old man appeared, dressed as
Charon, who had called the gladiators to death, and, passing with slow
step across the arena amid silence, he struck three times again on the
door.

Throughout the amphitheatre was heard the deep murmur,--

"The Christians! the Christians!"

The iron gratings creaked; through the dark openings were heard the
usual cries of the scourgers, "To the sand!" and in one moment the arena
was peopled with crowds as it were of satyrs covered with skins. All ran
quickly, somewhat feverishly, and, reaching the middle of the circle,
they knelt one by another with raised heads. The spectators, judging
this to be a prayer for pity, and enraged by such cowardice, began to
stamp, whistle, throw empty wine-vessels, bones from which the flesh
had been eaten, and shout, "The beasts! the beasts!" But all at once
something unexpected took place. From out the shaggy assembly singing
voices were raised, and then sounded that hymn heard for the first time
in a Roman amphitheatre, "Christus regnat!" ["Christ reigns!"]

Astonishment seized the spectators. The condemned sang with eyes raised
to the velarium. The audience saw faces pale, but as it were inspired.
All understood that those people were not asking for mercy, and that
they seemed not to see the Circus, the audience, the Senate, or Caesar.
"Christus regnat!" rose ever louder, and in the seats, far up to the
highest, among the rows of spectators, more than one asked himself the
question, "What is happening, and who is that Christus who reigns in
the mouths of those people who are about to die?" But meanwhile a
new grating was opened, and into the arena rushed, with mad speed and
barking, whole packs of dogs,--gigantic, yellow Molossians from the
Peloponnesus, pied dogs from the Pyrenees, and wolf-like hounds
from Hibernia, purposely famished; their sides lank, and their eyes
bloodshot. Their howls and whines filled the amphitheatre. When the
Christians had finished their hymn, they remained kneeling, motionless,
as if petrified, merely repeating in one groaning chorus, "Pro Christo!
Pro Christo!" The dogs, catching the odor of people under the skins of
beasts, and surprised by their silence, did not rush on them at once.
Some stood against the walls of th