as if in madness, "I believe! I believe! I
believe!"

This time the amphitheater was silent, for in the arena something
uncommon had happened. That giant, obedient and ready to die, when he
saw his queen on the horns of the wild beast, sprang up, as if touched
by living fire, and, bending forward, he ran at the raging animal.

From all breasts a sudden cry of amazement was heard, as the giant fell
on the raging bull and seized him by the horns. And then came deep
silence. All breasts ceased to breathe. In the amphitheater a fly might
be heard on the wing. People could not believe their own eyes. Since
Rome was Rome no one had ever seen such a spectacle. The man's feet sank
in the sand to his ankle; his back was bent like a bow; his head was
hidden between his shoulders; on his arms the muscles came out so that
the skin almost burst from their pressure; but he had stopped the bull
in his tracks. The man and the bull remained so still that the
spectators thought themselves looking at a group hewn in stone. But in
that apparent repose there was a tremendous exertion of two struggling
forces. The bull's feet, as well as the man's, sank in the sand, and the
dark, shaggy body was curved so that it seemed a gigantic ball. Which
of the two would fail first? Which would fall first?

Meanwhile a dull roar resembling a groan was heard from the arena, after
which a brief shout was wrested from every breast, and again there was
silence. Duller and duller, hoarser and hoarser, more and more painful
grew the groan of the bull as it mingled with the whistling breath from
the breast of the giant. The head of the beast began to turn in the iron
hands of the barbarian, and from his jaws crept forth a long, foaming
tongue. A moment more and to the ears of the spectators sitting nearer
came, as it were, the crack of breaking bones; then the beast rolled on
the earth, dead.

The giant removed in a twinkling the ropes that bound the maiden to the
horns of the bull. His face was very pale; he stood as if only half
conscious; then he raised his eyes and looked at the spectators.

The amphitheater had gone wild. The walls of the building were trembling
from the roar of tens of thousands of people.

Everywhere were heard cries for mercy, passionate and persistent, which
soon turned into one unbroken thunder.

The giant understood that they were asking for his life and liberty, but
his thoughts were not for himself. He raised the unconsciou