em, and with the feast they must have music and the dance.'

[Illustration.]

Saying this he nodded to Telemachus, bending his terrible brows.
Telemachus instantly girt his sword upon him and took his spear in his
hand. Outside was heard the thunder of Zeus. And now Odysseus had
stripped his rags from him and was standing upright, looking a master of
men. The mighty bow was in his hands, and at his feet were scattered
many bronze-weighted arrows.

XV

It is ended,' Odysseus said, 'My trial is ended. Now will I have another
mark.' Saying this, he put the bronze-weighted arrow against the string
of the bow, and shot at the first of his enemies.

It was at Antinous he pointed the arrow--at Antinous who was even then
lifting up a golden cup filled with wine, and who was smiling, with
death far from his thoughts. Odysseus aimed at him, and smote him with
the arrow in the throat and the point passed out clean through his neck.
The wine cup fell from his hands and Antinous fell dead across the
table. Then did all the wooers raise a shout, threatening Odysseus for
sending an arrow astray. It did not come into their minds that this
stranger-beggar had aimed to kill Antinous.

But Odysseus shouted back to them, 'Ye dogs, ye that said in your hearts
that Odysseus would never return to his home, ye that wasted my
substance, and troubled my wife, and injured my servants; ye who showed
no fear of heaven, nor of the just judgements of men; behold Odysseus
returned, and know what death is being loosed on you!'

Then Eurymachus shouted out, 'Friends, this man will not hold his hands,
nor cease from shooting with the bow, until all of us are slain. Now
must we enter into the battle with him. Draw your swords and hold up the
tables before you for shields and advance upon him.'

But even as he spoke Odysseus, with a terrible cry, loosed an arrow at
him and shot Eurymachus through the breast. He let the sword fall from
his hand, and he too fell dead upon the floor.

One of the band rushed straight at Odysseus with his sword in hand. But
Telemachus was at hand, and he drove his spear through this man's
shoulders. Then Telemachus ran quickly to a chamber where there were
weapons and armour lying. The swineherd and the cattleherd joined him,
and all three put armour upon them. Odysseus, as long as he had arrows
to defend himself, kept shooting at and smiting the wooers. When all the
arrows were gone, he put the helmet on his