42 A "flash house'' in POMPEII. 



" Or me, who have conquered in fifteen fights ?" 

 said the gigantic Niger, stalking up to the gla- 

 diator. 



" Or me V grunted Sporus, with eyes of fire. 



" Tush ?" said Lydon, folding his arms, and re- 

 garding his rivals with a reckless air of defiance. 

 " The time of trial will soon come ; keep your 

 valour till then." 



" Ay, do," said the surly host ; " and if I press 

 down my thumb to save you, may the Fates cut 

 my thread." 



" Your rope, you mean," said Lydon, sneeringly ; 

 " here is a sesterce to buy one." 



The Titan wine-vender seized the hand extended 

 to him, and griped it in so stern a vice that the blood 

 spirted from the fingers' ends over the garments of 

 the bystanders. 



They set up a savage laugh. 



" I will teach thee, young braggart, to play the 

 Macedonian with me.^ I am no puny Persian, I 

 warrant thee ! What, man ! have I not fought 

 twenty years in the ring and never lowered my arms 

 once? and have I not received the rod from the 

 Editor's own hand as a sign of victory, and as a 

 grace to retirement on my laurels ? And am I now 

 to be lectured by a boy ?" So saying, he flung the 

 hand from him in scorn. 



Without changing a muscle, but with the same 

 smiling face with which he had previously taunted 

 mine host, did the gladiator brave the painful grasp 

 he had undergone. But no sooner was his hand 

 released, than crouching for one moment as a wild 

 cat crouches, you might see his hair bristle on his 

 head and beard, and with a fierce and shrill yell 

 he sprang on the throat of the giant with an impetus 

 that threw him, vast and sturdy as he was, from his 

 balance ; — and down, with the crash of a falling 

 rock, he fell ; — while over him fell also his ferocious 

 foe. 



