Reel Life (Sep 1913 - Mar 1914)

8 Reel Life swordsmanship as had ever been shown in the arena. But the Dacian had no intention of even wounding his Prince, and fell to the ground before him in such a way that Decebalus could scarcely avoid running him through as he pitched forward. ("Careful, Otho ! Be ready to spring with me when I give the word!) With the customary gesture of outstretched arm. Decebalus asked the boon of his adversary's life before despatching him as he lay defenseless at his feet. But Trajan leaned forward with down-turned thumb upon the marble balustrade. Habet! Then the spectators saw a most amazing thing — and breathlessly sprang forward in their seats. Instead of thrusting his sword into Otho's body, the Prince reached down with his left hand. Together, they sprang forward. The balustrade of the Imperial enclosure was a good twenty feet above the sand, but that before the adjoining rows of seats was eight feet lower. With the impetus gained by a short run and a mighty leap, they caught the lower balustrade with their hands — ■ pulled themselves up — sprang from it to the Imperial box — and inside of a minute, had thrown Trajan backward across his throne and were throttling the life out of him when Octavia flung herself between them. Recognizing her, instantly, Decebalus allowed the Praetorians to disarm him and was taken down to the dungeons to be executed in the morning. Among the spectators in the Circus, however, had been Thais — a Greek girl, wife of Junius Publius, a Prefect — who had become infatuated with the hansome Dacian. By means of bribery, she succeeded in gaining admittance to the dungeons and securing an interview with Decebalus. While she was with him, a spy in the Prefect's service brought word to him at Trajan's palace, of his wife's visit to the dungeons and a centurion was immediately despatched to bring her before the Emperor. But when the centurion came into the dungeon Decebalus sprang upon him — bound him, hand and foot — put on his cuirass and helmet and walked out, leading Thais by the wrist, as if dragging her along. As no one had reason for glancing closely at him, they went through the city unrecognized, until they reached the house on the Palatine in which Octavia lived. Consigning Thais to her care, he was about to leave when the Princess again begged him to become a Roman. "Octavia — thou knowest not what it costs to refuse thee anything! To be with thee — to see thee, dailj' — perchance to have (Ye gods! . . . . . They have discovered my escape! Listen The Praetorians are at thy doors even now ! ) Ah well — I should have yielded to thee had they not taken me. Farewell, Octavia!'' They dragged him before Trajan, who — in admiration for his royal captive — again offered him his life. In bitter realization of the hopelessness of his love for Octavia, the Prince was about to refuse for the last time when a bloody, travel-stained centurion of the Foreign Legion was brought before Trajan with news that the Thracians had revolted — defeated the legion quartered on the shore of the Aegean Sea — and were marchin? northward to cross the Ister and over-run Dacia. This decided the question in the Prince's mind. Thrace had been the hereditary enemy of Dacia before it became a Roman Province in the year 47. Kneeling before Trajan, he swore allegiance to Rome and asked for the command of a legion to invade Thrace from the west and south. Always an excellent judge of men, Trajan promptly granted his request — and in six months. Thrace was again subdued. Decebalus returned to Rome in triumph with several officers of his legion and a host of Thracian captives — asking, as a reward, the freedom of Magaria. Wlien she was brought to him from the dungeon in which she had been confined, Decebalus led her away among the narrow streets on the Palatine until they came to the house of Octavia. Leaving her with two slaves who had been formerly her handmaidens in Dacia, he stepped out through the atrium to a long, grape-covered pergola which looked down upon the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum. At the further end, he found Octavia — alone. The faint scraping noise of his sandals upon the marble tiling startled her and, turning, she saw the hansome figure advancing toward her, the white military cape setting off the, burnished silver cuirass and helmet, while the sunbeams, darting i between the grape-leaves over