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338 DARKNESS AND DAWN
Onesimus, leaving the defeated combatant, had again seized
his net and chased his opponent with it in act to throw. Being
far superior in speed, he swiftly overtook him, flung the net
and, hurling his opponent to the ground, brandished his dagger
over him. The peopled walls of the amphitheatre rang with
shouts of delight and admiration. Never had they seen a more
astonishing and gallant feat. This retiarius and he a mere
tiro had, single-handed, defeated four Samnites in succession.
The thing was unheard of.
Every thumb was turned up for
Onesimus to give the finishing stroke to his conquered enemy,
and thousands of voices clamoured that, as the sole surviving
victor of the combat, he should be rewarded \v 7 ith the palm
and foil.
But the brief spasm of wrath was over. Onesimus could
not and would not butcher his comrades in cold blood. He
recognised in the young Samnite a gladiator named Kalendio,
one of the least objectionable of his fellows in the school
the only one who had never gone out of his way to annoy or
taunt him. At the same moment he caught sight
of the body
of Glanydon. A rush of tears blinded him ;
he flung down
net and dagger and trident, and, retreating to the barrier, stood
there with folded arms. The acclamations which had greeted
his prowess were followed by a groan of astonishment and
disappointment. Kalendio had by this time torn and cut
himself free from the net, and sprang upon the unhappy
Phrygian who had spared his life. Onesimus did not resist
him or appeal for mercy the
; Samnite, who was an utter
stranger to the scruples and compunctions which had led
Onesimus to spare him, drove his sword into him ;
life and
sense flowed from him, and he fell heavily upon the bloody
sand.