end, the lion of the cave.

The people, who had ex-pect-ed to see the man killed by the lion, were
filled with wonder. They saw Androclus put his arms around the lion's
neck; they saw the lion lie down at his feet, and lick them
lov-ing-ly; they saw the great beast rub his head against the slave's
face as though he wanted to be petted. They could not un-der-stand
what it all meant.

[Illustration: Androclus and the Lion.]

After a while they asked Androclus to tell them about it. So he
stood up before them, and, with his arm around the lion's neck, told
how he and the beast had lived together in the cave.

"I am a man," he said; "but no man has ever befriended me. This poor
lion alone has been kind to me; and we love each other as brothers."

The people were not so bad that they could be cruel to the poor slave
now. "Live and be free!" they cried. "Live and be free!"

Others cried, "Let the lion go free too! Give both of them their
liberty!"

And so Androclus was set free, and the lion was given to him for his
own. And they lived together in Rome for many years.

HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE.

Once there was a war between the Roman people and the E-trus'cans who
lived in the towns on the other side of the Ti-ber River. Por'se-na,
the King of the E-trus-cans, raised a great army, and marched toward
Rome. The city had never been in so great danger.

The Romans did not have very many fighting men at that time, and they
knew that they were not strong enough to meet the Etruscans in open
battle. So they kept themselves inside of their walls, and set guards
to watch the roads.

One morning the army of Por-se-na was seen coming over the hills from
the north. There were thousands of horsemen and footmen, and they were
marching straight toward the wooden bridge which spanned the river at
Rome.

"What shall we do?" said the white-haired Fathers who made the laws
for the Roman people. "If they once gain the bridge, we cannot hinder
them from crossing; and then what hope will there be for the town?"

Now, among the guards at the bridge, there was a brave man named
Ho-ra'ti-us. He was on the farther side of the river, and when he saw
that the Etruscans were so near, he called out to the Romans who were
behind him.

"Hew down the bridge with all the speed that you can!" he cried. "I,
with the two men who stand by me, will keep the foe at bay."

Then, with their shields before them, and their long spears in their