Meanwhile, the Ar'gonaut was giving ground. He circled backward once around the ring, while his foe pressed him hotly. Or was it his purpose thus to throw the giant off his guard? But the flying arms never once ceased or slackened upon either side, though a stream of blood appeared on Polydeu'ces' forehead, and trickled down his cheek. Suddenly Le'da's son stooped to the earth, and, while the giant's cestus hurtled harmlessly in air, the nimble youth sprang up at his opponent's side and launched a stroke as quick and deadly as Jove's thunderbolt, that took effect upon Am'ycus just below the ear.

Then like to some gigantic mountain pine, whose trunk has just been severed by the woodman's axe, but for an instant still declines to fall, so stood the huge Bebry'cian, erect but tottering, until his trembling knees refused support, and he fell prostrate on the shore. A momentary quiver ran through his mighty frame, then all was still; for with Polydeu'ces' final blow his neck was broken.

A cry of horror and a shout of victory went up to the sky from the mouths of the commin

gled multitude; and Ja'son stepped forth and proudly grasped the victor's hand, exclaim

ing:

66

Bravely done! Nobly won!

injured, I fear."

But you are

"Oh, that is nothing!" the hero answered; "merely a scratch that, I'm ashamed to say, the fellow managed to give me. But he'll never trouble any more innocent men, as he has done so many times in the past."

The Argonauts tarried there a time and celebrated the victory in fine style, and the Bebry'cians were called upon to furnish all the animals sufficient for food and sacrifices.

By and by our friends put off from the Bebry'cian coast, and tended whither the Talking Oak directed. But, as they proceeded, the heavens grew black as night, the lightnings flashed, and the thunder roared until they thought they surely should be lost.

Then Orpheus caught his harp, and struck a chord in unison with the tempest; and the ship rocked to and fro upon the angry surges with still greater violence, and all the heroes prayed

that he would cease. knew his power, and heeded not their demand. And finally, the harp tones grew less boisterous and more full of melody; and strange to say, the roaring waves abated of their wrath, and the hurricane subsided to a whistling wind that wailed a weird accompaniment to the persuasive music. Then Or'pheus raised his voice in song, for he was the first of men thus to add thrilling harmony to the tones of the golden shell. And he invoked the deities of Samothra'ce, the curious Cabi'ri who were said to wander over the world like newly-hatched partridges, with a half eggshell on their heads, but who controlled the storm winds in their wrath. And while he sung, the boiling waves grew calm, and, sobbing, sank beneath the Ar'go's prow; for the Cabi'ri heard the Wizard's prayer, and they appeared as a ball of fire upon the pointed mast, and as bright stars upon the heads of Le'da's sons, Cas'tor and Polydeu'ces.

But the great Song Wizard

Then they sailed through the rough-rolling Bos'porus (which means Ox'ford, or rather Cow'ford, since across it the beautiful I'o swam when,