air, from which she at length emerged, and sought refuge in a
wood on a neighbouring hill. Heracles now rushed forward and endeavoured to
crush her heads by means of well-directed blows from his tremendous club;
but no sooner was one head destroyed than it was immediately replaced by
two others. He next seized the monster in his powerful grasp; but at this
juncture a giant crab came to the assistance of the Hydra and commenced
biting the feet of her assailant. Heracles destroyed this new adversary
with his club, and now called upon his nephew to come to his aid. At his
command Iolaus set fire to the neighbouring trees, {240} and, with a
burning branch, seared the necks of the monster as Heracles cut them off,
thus effectually preventing the growth of more. Heracles next struck off
the immortal head, which he buried by the road-side, and placed over it a
heavy stone. Into the poisonous blood of the monster he then dipped his
arrows, which ever afterwards rendered wounds inflicted by them incurable.

3. THE HORNED HIND.--The third labour of Heracles was to bring the horned
hind Cerunitis alive to Mycenae. This animal, which was sacred to Artemis,
had golden antlers and hoofs of brass.

Not wishing to wound the hind Heracles patiently pursued her through many
countries for a whole year, and overtook her at last on the banks of the
river Ladon; but even there he was compelled, in order to secure her, to
wound her with one of his arrows, after which he lifted her on his
shoulders and carried her through Arcadia. On his way he met Artemis with
her brother Phoebus-Apollo, when the goddess angrily reproved him for
wounding her favourite hind; but Heracles succeeded in appeasing her
displeasure, whereupon she permitted him to take the animal alive to
Mycenae.

[Illustration]

4. THE ERYMANTIAN BOAR.--The fourth task imposed upon Heracles by
Eurystheus was to bring alive to Mycenae the Erymantian boar, which had laid
waste the region of Erymantia, and was the scourge of the surrounding
neighbourhood.

On his way thither he craved food and shelter of a Centaur named Pholus,
who received him with generous hospitality, setting before him a good and
plentiful repast. When Heracles expressed his surprise that at such a
well-furnished board {241} wine should be wanting, his host explained that
the wine-cellar was the common property of all the Centaurs, and that it
was against the rules for a cask to be broached, except all were pr