eap
screw of a Glyco condemned his steward to the beasts and only published
his own shame. How could the slave go wrong when he only obeyed orders?
It would have been better if that she-piss-pot, for that's all she's fit
for, had been tossed by the bull, but a fellow has to beat the saddle
when he can't beat the jackass. How could Glyco ever imagine that a
sprig of Hermogenes' planting could turn out well? Why, Hermogenes could
trim the claws of a flying hawk, and no snake ever hatched out a rope
yet! And look at Glyco! He's smoked himself out in fine shape, and as
long as he lives, he'll carry that stain! No one but the devil himself
can wipe that out, but chickens always come home to roost. My nose tells
me that Mammaea will set out a spread: two bits apiece for me and mine!
And he'll nick Norbanus out of his political pull if he does; you all
know that it's to his interest to hump himself to get the best of him.
And honestly, what did that fellow ever do for us? He exhibited some two
cent gladiators that were so near dead they'd have fallen flat if you
blew your breath at them. I've seen better thugs sent against wild
beasts! And the cavalry he killed looked about as much like the real
thing as the horsemen on the lamps; you would have taken them for
dunghill cocks! One plug had about as much action as a jackass with a
pack-saddle; another was club-footed; and a third who had to take the
place of one that was killed, was as good as dead, and hamstrung into the
bargain. There was only one that had any pep, and he was a Thracian, but
he only fought when we egged him on. The whole crowd was flogged
afterwards. How the mob did yell 'Lay it on!' They were nothing but
runaways. And at that he had the nerve to say, 'I've given you a show.'
'And I've applauded,' I answered; 'count it up and you'll find that I
gave more than I got! One hand washes the other.'"

CHAPTER THE FORTY-SIXTH

"Agamemnon, your looks seem to say, What's this boresome nut trying to
hand us?' Well, I'm talking because you, who can talk book-foolishness,
won't. You don't belong to our bunch, so you laugh in your sleeve at the
way us poor people talk, but we know that you're only a fool with a lot
of learning. Well, what of it? Some day I'll get you to come to my
country place and take a look at my little estate. We'll have fresh eggs
and spring chicken to chew on when we get there; it will be all right
even if the weather has