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He did not lift his eyes till the figure paused opposite the place where he sat, and with a soft voice addressed him by the name of: 'Father! 'My boy! my Lydon! is it indeed thou? said the old man, joyfully. 'Ah, thou wert present to my thoughts.
Now, old boy, pray the gods that that victor be neither of the Romans! nor, next to them, the giant Niger." The old man sat down again and covered his face. The fray for the moment was indifferent to him Lydon was not one of the combatants. Yet, yet, the thought flashed across him the fray was indeed of deadly interest the first who fell was to make way for Lydon!
Ha, ha! see how he rallies! That was a home stroke: he has cut open Lydon's shoulder. A Tetraides! a Tetraides!" "But Lydon is not disheartened. By Pollux! how well he keeps his temper! See how dextrously he avoids those hammer-like hands! dodging now here, now there circling round and round. Ah, poor Lydon! he has it again." "Three to one still on Tetraides! What say you, Lepidus?"
A sudden silence from the startled hall of revel succeeded these ominous words: the Christians swept on, and were soon hidden from the sight of the gladiator. Awed, he scarce knew why, by the mystic denunciations of the Christians, Lydon, after a short pause, now rose to pursue his way homeward.
They fight first in the Greek fashion, with the cestus; afterwards they put on armor, and try sword and shield. 'He is a proper man, this Lydon; and the women, I am sure, are on his side. 'So are not the experienced betters; Clodius offers three to one against him!
At that thought, and seeing that, his strength not being equal to the endurance of the Roman, everything depended on a sudden and desperate effort, he threw himself fiercely on Eumolpus; the Roman warily retreated Lydon thrust again Eumolpus drew himself aside the sword grazed his cuirass Lydon's breast was exposed the Roman plunged his sword through the joints of the armor, not meaning, however, to inflict a deep wound; Lydon, weak and exhausted, fell forward, fell right on the point: it passed through and through, even to the back.
In proportion, too, as he wanted flesh, he was likely to possess activity; and a haughty smile on his resolute face, which strongly contrasted with the solid heaviness of his enemy's, gave assurance to those who beheld it and united their hope to their pity; so that despite the disparity of their seeming strength, the cry of the multitude was nearly as loud for Lydon as for Tetraides.
The initiatory contest between Lydon and Tetraides being less deadly than that between the other combatants, no sooner had they advanced to the middle of the arena than as by common consent the rest held back, to see how that contest should be decided, and wait till fiercer weapons might replace the cestus ere they themselves commenced hostilities.
Tetraides, though not taller than Lydon, weighed considerably more; the natural size of his muscles was increased, to the eyes of the vulgar, by masses of solid flesh; for, as it was a notion that the contest of the cestus fared easiest with him who was plumpest, Tetraides had encouraged to the utmost his hereditary predisposition to the portly.
'But he has the true blood in him, and has challenged Tetraides. 'He challenged me, said Lydon: 'I accept the offer. 'And how do you fight? asked Lepidus. 'Chut, my boy, wait a while before you contend with Tetraides. Lydon smiled disdainfully. 'Is he a citizen or a slave? said Clodius. 'A citizen we are all citizens here, quoth Niger.
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