sed thus. His anxiety increased. If relief came not
speedily, Arrius would die. Sometimes he seemed already dead,
he lay so still. He took the helmet off, and then, with greater
difficulty, the cuirass; the heart he found fluttering. He took
hope at the sign, and held on. There was nothing to do but wait,
and, after the manner of his people, pray.

CHAPTER VI

The throes of recovery from drowning are more painful than
the drowning. These Arrius passed through, and, at length,
to Ben-Hur's delight, reached the point of speech.

Gradually, from incoherent questions as to where he was, and by
whom and how he had been saved, he reverted to the battle. The doubt
of the victory stimulated his faculties to full return, a result
aided not a little by a long rest--such as could be had on their
frail support. After a while he became talkative.

"Our rescue, I see, depends upon the result of the fight. I see
also what thou hast done for me. To speak fairly, thou hast saved my
life at the risk of thy own. I make the acknowledgment broadly; and,
whatever cometh, thou hast my thanks. More than that, if fortune doth
but serve me kindly, and we get well out of this peril, I will do thee
such favor as becometh a Roman who hath power and opportunity to prove
his gratitude. Yet, yet it is to be seen if, with thy good intent,
thou hast really done me a kindness; or, rather, speaking to thy
good-will"--he hesitated--"I would exact of thee a promise to
do me, in a certain event, the greatest favor one man can do
another--and of that let me have thy pledge now."

"If the thing be not forbidden, I will do it," Ben-Hur replied.

Arrius rested again.

"Art thou, indeed, a son of Hur, the Jew?" he next asked.

"It is as I have said."

"I knew thy father--"

Judah drew himself nearer, for the tribune's voice was weak--he
drew nearer, and listened eagerly--at last he thought to hear
of home.

"I knew him, and loved him," Arrius continued.

There was another pause, during which something diverted the
speaker's thought.

"It cannot be," he proceeded, "that thou, a son of his, hast not
heard of Cato and Brutus. They were very great men, and never as
great as in death. In their dying, they left this law--A Roman
may not survive his good-fortune. Art thou listening?"

"I hear."

"It is a custom of gentlemen in Rome to wear a ring. There is one
on my hand. Take it now."

He held the hand to Judah, who did as he asked.

"N