hesitating whether to ask mercy, and thought better of it, shrugging his
fine bronzed shoulders. The leopard left the wall and crept toward the
center of the sand, his black and yellow beauty rippling in the sunlight
and his shadow looking like death's trailing cloak. The courtiers
seemed doubtful which of the two beasts to watch, leopard or emperor.

"A spear!" said Commodus. A gladiator put it in his hand.

"Varronius! It irks me to have cowards in the senate! Let me see you
try to kill that leopard!"

Decadent and grown effeminate though Rome was, there was no patrician
who had not received some training in the use of arms. Varronius took
the spear at once, his white hands closing on the shaft with military
firmness. But his white face gave the lie to the alacrity with which he
strode out of the shadow.

"Kill him, and you shall have the consulate next year!" said Commodus.
"Be killed, and there will be one useless bastard less to clutter up the
curia!"

A flush of anger swept over the senator's pale face. For a moment he
looked almost capable of lunging with the spear at Commodus--but
Commodus was toying with the javelin. Varronius strode out to face the
leopard, and the lithe beast did not wait to feel the spear-point. It
began to stalk its adversary in irregular swift curves. Its body almost
pressed the sand. Its eyes were spots of sunlit topaz. Commodus' frown
vanished. He began to gloat over the leopard's subtlety and strength.

"He is a lovelier thing than you, Varronius! He is a better fighter!