Show Short Story Of tb the Day Jj ill VERSO I A Tragedy of a Roman Arena time the four greater cities cities- In the Roman empire were Antioch and Treves on the Moselle Treves which was the centre were re governed Britain Gaul Spain the Alpine districts and the Rhine was vas as the residence of th the Prefect of the Rhine provinces He waS wai was a alted tuned personage and commanded the army which was forever repelling i ts of the Germanic tribes to cross the Rhine At Treves also was waa of these legions centred There was not a month of ot summer r Ser when they had not some fighting to do much of ot which was vas fierce me desperate i ten iten years the Rhine legionaries had hoad won all their battles under the same p and never had any military order of his miscarried In battle and In InIn inIn In attack and In defence e the the confidence of his me men In its him was absolute ere e was not tot in all the empire a mote more unpopular man than his Excellency elect of the Rhine Marches Marched He more th than n counteracted the effect of Ut y prestige by an unsympathetic uninspiring and chilly demeanor ses roused no enthusiasm for himself In camp he was wai a relentless Outside the army In the municipal administration of Treves In the them m ment nt of the province and in all things small and arid great throughout even nd Spain his manner and his stubborn formality won I and nd hatred WAS a hot and dusty Bummer summer with bad crops The parade ground of Iwas If It pos possible ible hotter and dustier than toan the country y about It was a floor of ot dazzling Impalpable clay powder On one side of it ran one the camp tamp over which showed the roofs of or the low dull dull brown brown racks barracks The other three sides tere were lined with crazy huts or shanties the b e camp followers and houses of the About half halt an all hour sunrise Unise the two legions legins then quartered at Treves were under review arrIson review began at the first firt glov glow of daw dawn n The Inspection of the Ion n was over ovet The Prefect with his staff was at one end of the ground legion on hi his left and the Thirty-third Thirty on his light right I J read react out the guard assignments the watchword and finally c centurion of the Fourteenth legion was to be deprived of ot his rank and aed ded to the capital to ta answer anaw the th Ch charge e 0 ot of conspiracy He was um sum oj I to step out and place himself himsel In the hands of of his guards The accused was as by far the most popular man in the legion and ranked third anong among Its sixty centurions The Prefect had long disliked him and anEl w would Uld have preferred even en more summary measures Almost before the order had been i- i read iad ad the Fourteenth changed chanted from a serried machine to a seething a-seething swarm swann of human figures weltering in the dense envelope of ot dust which rose from under them The centurions whom the rank and file tile distrusted were pinioned every sword was out and with weapons and shields aloft the men yelled themselves hoarse The Prefect ordered the first maniple of the Thirty Thirty ninth ninth to arrest th the ringleaders The Thirty third stood like Images peering as ag well as they could coul against the sunlight in their eyes toward towai-j the mob across across crosa the parade ground The orderly did not take he trouble to ride nde back to report how the command was received The Prefect called out r C Ia Is g there no man here who respects his oath As w well wll n salute your centurIon centurion cen cen- Emperor The clamor was wag so loud that the staff could hardly hear each other The who Vas s the cause of the outbreak seemed to be trying to quiet hi his fellows The Prefect raged mutely Even his staff were ag against him and longed to see him humiliated I When comparative silence was restored not losing an Instant he chose the most dangerous and most promising course possible For he was really a great commander and a bold one He rode three horse lengths horse lengths alone toward the mutineers and asked them then If they rebelled against the Emperor against himself or against that particular order alone Diverse shouting'S answered A A young centurion who had taken no par parIn part partIn In fomenting or quieting the tumult stepped out The men held their peace and he said very slowly and that they did not rebel against th the Emperor that they did not mutiny against their theli commander but that they did ask him to reconsider an order which had not yet received his official approval approve ap ap- ap- ap prove Groans and arid cheers cheers' greeted all three statements His Excellency was reassured The men had no fixed plans they were divided and they had no determined lead leaders rs The mutiny iwas was very real and terribly tc near a revolt that would ruin him utterly But while the Infringement of discipline was irreparable and his hold on the men and his officers appallingly appall appall- weakened yet there was a chance of or regaining the reality of ot subordination tion and power by holding to the semblance of both Mutinies revolts and revolutions were wera none so rare in those da days days' and while the small smallest beginning might lead to the worlds world's end on the other hand the frequency of Insubordination insubordination nation made reaccepted obedience nce less and a mockery more a valuable possession posses pOSSe sion slon than it It be under other circumstances The effort of the speaker to save his official dignity he saw and while he perceived that it gave him the very opportunity he wanted he none one the less hated the speaker for tor the condescension con con- of Jt it Continued tomorrow |