Neæra: A Tale of Ancient Rome

by Joel Chandler Harris

  CHAPTER IX.

  Cestus, straining every nerve as he fled from the scene of his failure,expected each moment to feel the fingers of his rapidly gaining pursuerhooked into his collar. Doubling this way and that through the gloom, inimminent peril of smashing his skull, and experiencing all the terrors ofa hunted hare, he gave a gasp of joy when he heard the crash of thetrooper's fall at his heels. A few more leaps took him out of sight andhearing; and then he doubled on his track. When he gained the edge of thegrove, he dropped down at full length in a convenient shelter, with hisheart throbbing well-nigh to bursting, and his eyes swimming. Hisslothful, indulgent habits rendered him totally unequal to such a terribletrial of exertion, and his horrible gasping for breath was so severe as torender him incapable of perceiving whether there were any signs of furtherpursuit. Burying his face in the grass, he smothered, as well as he could,his grievous pantings, until he recovered breath sufficiently to sit upand listen with more attention. All was as still as death, however, and,in another quarter of an hour, he felt emboldened to make the best of hisway to the safe haunts of his native Subura. Going cautiously he quittedthe Aventine and gained the Ostian road which ran to the heart of thecity. As he progressed along the deserted streets he began to curse hisill-luck and speculate on the consequences. The promised reward, thoughfurther from his grasp than before, yet shed its glamour over his mind,and whetted it to ponder over renewed plans, on a less delicate andingenious style, more peculiarly his own.

  The vast exterior of the Circus Maximus towered on his left. Walkingswiftly along its moonlit, porticoed base, full of caves of ill-repute,another figure appeared, so as to converge on to the track of Cestus.

  Traversing that mighty circuit of masonry, the Suburan overlooked theapproaching object, as one might have overlooked a small animal specked onthe side of a mountain, until he found himself in close proximity, andthen he quickened his pace. The result of this was that the stranger didthe same, and the mind of Cestus began to wax uneasy. He finally startedoff at a smart trot, whereupon he was hailed by an angry voice.

  'Stop, you fool!'

  Cestus recognised the tones of his patron and waited in as much dread assurprise.

  'I did not recognise you, patron,' he said, as the knight came up.

  'So you have got away clear,' said Afer sharply.

  'More by good luck than anything else--there was a swifter foot than minebehind me had it not slipped,' replied Cestus, humbled and abashed by hisfailure. 'You were too bold to be nigh--had you been caught, it had beenfifty times worse.'

  'Rest yourself easy on that score--I am not such a bungler as yourself.'

  'Well, patron, the plan failed, but you can hardly blame me,' beganCestus.

  'Whom then? if not you. It is the climax of your braggingworthlessness--idiot!' said the knight wrathfully.

  'Well, but, patron--the soldiers! Who could be at both ends of the road atonce? Another minute and I had done my work to perfection--I had finishedit even now, but for that meddling fool, who chose to put in his word. Bereasonable, patron; I carried out your plans to the very letter andminute, but you made no provision for a troop of legionaries tointerfere.'

  'Silence, blockhead! could I not see?' fumed Afer. 'Why, the old dotard,if they had left you to it, would have cracked your skull, thick as itis.'

  'No, never--if he outlived Saturn!' retorted the Suburan, with risingvoice, as well as choler, 'nor fifty dotards from fifty Janiculums. Let medo the job in my own way, without the useless tomfoolery of a whining taleand a moonlight walk, and a cohort of asses lurking on one's steps--leaveit to me alone and you shall see.'

  'Yes, I should see you with thy neck in a noose and myself proclaimed,'sneered Afer. 'Leave it to you, indeed! If you cannot do better than this,with four stout fellows to back you, what would you do alone? Fool!'

  'I am no fool!' returned Cestus fiercely; for the cutting contempt andepithets of his patron were more than he could bear.

  'A double fool--a swaggering, bragging, drunken fool, thick of sense andslow of hand--faugh!'

  'I tell thee, Afer, I am no fool!' bawled Cestus; 'it is thyself!'

  'I was, to trust your workmanship. Fabricius eats his postponed supper,and you are off to your foxholes, like a cur, with its tail between itslegs. Begone and trouble me no more!' thundered Afer, in uncontrollablepassion.

  'You shall know that--clever as you think yourself, you are under my thumb.One word from me----'

  'Silence, you dog, when I bid you!' hissed the knight, striding up to himand clutching his collar.

  'Not I, by Hercules!' cried Cestus, thoroughly roused and reckless as heshook off the grasp. 'You, a chicken-hearted, double-faced pauper, to bemy master----'

  '_Accipe----!_ Let that silence thee for ever!'

  The knight threw up his arm as he spoke, and the Suburan, giving a sharpcry, fell heavily, stabbed in the breast.

  Afer hastily wiped his poniard and replaced it in the folds of his cloak.

  'There is no bungling in this,' he muttered; 'dead men tell no tales.'

  Only delaying to drag the fallen man by the heels more into the shadow ofa wall, he hurried swiftly on; and, before morning dawned, he entered theyet sleeping town of Tibur, disappointed in mind, and yet not altogetherwithout a feeling of satisfaction and relief at the course circumstanceshad taken.