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152 DARKNESS AND DAWN
more than they could really do. Nero and his companions
were able, with perfect impunity, to insult, annoy and injure
group after group of sober or peaceful citizens, whom the
exigencies of duty or society had compelled to return to their
homes after dark without a slave to bear a lantern or a torch.
They enjoyed the novel sensation of terrifying timid women
and of throwing harmless passengers into the gutters, indulging
in every form of rowdyism which could furnish a moment's
excitement.
The custom of ' tossing in a blanket ' is not modern but
ancient ; only that among the ancients a large sat/urn or warcloak
was used, as our schoolboys use a blanket. 1 That night
the party of aristocratic Mohawks caught several poor burghers,
and amused themselves with terrifying them almost out of
their wits by this boisterous amusement. It needed, however,
a spice of cruelty to make it still more piquant and when
;
they had tossed one of their victims as high as they could they
suddenly let go of the saguin, and suffered him to fall, bruised,
and often stunned, to the ground, while they made good their
escape.
But they were not allowed to have it all their own way. As
they were near the Milvian Bridge it happened that Pudens
met them. He was accompanied by Onesimus, who carried a
lantern of bronze and horn, and by Nereus and Junia, who
followed at a little distance. They had been, in considerable
secrecy, to a Christian gathering, and were on their way homewards
when they met these roving sons of Belial, two of whom
also carried lanterns. The stalwart form of Pudens looked
sufficiently formidable in the circle of dim light to prevent
them from annoying him
;
but when they caught sight of the
veiled figure of Junia they thought that her father Nereus, who
was evidently only a slave, would be unable to protect her
from their rude familiarities.
'
'
'
Ha, maiden ! exclaimed Otho. What, veiled though
it is
night ? Do you need protection from Cotytto ? Come, bring
me the lantern here; let us look at a face which will be presumably
pretty.'
Junia shrank back, and Otho seized, and was attempting by
force to uplift her veil when a blow from the oaken cudgel of
Nereus benumbed his arm. But the Emperor, secure in the
1 See Note 25. Tossing in a blanket.