tched their weapons into the sea, were chained to oar looms, in
place of slaves who were dead; and there remained only Dason to have a
fate apportioned.

The fight had cooled out of him, and he had thrown his arms to the sea,
and stood sullenly ready for what might befall; and to him Tob went up
with an exulting face.

"Ho, pot-mate Dason," cried he, "you made a lot of talk an hour ago
about that woman of mine, who lives with her brats on the quay-side in
Atlantis yonder. Now, I'll give you a pleasant choice; either I'll
take you along home, and tell her what you said before the whole ship's
company (that are for the most part dead now, poor souls!), and I'll
leave her to perform on your carcase as she sees fit by way of payment;
or, as the other choice, I'll deal with you here now myself."

"I thank you for the chance," said Dason, and knelt and offered his neck
to the axe. So Tob cut off his head, sticking it on the galley's beak as
an advertisement of what had been done. The body he threw over the side,
and one of the great man-eating birds that hovered near, picked it up
and flew away with it to its nest amongst the crags. And so we were
free to get a meal of the fruits and the fresh meats which the galley
offered, whilst the oar-slaves sent the galley rushing onwards towards
the capital.

There was a wine-skin in the after-castle, and I filled a horn and
poured some out at Tob's feet in salutation. "My man," I said, "you have
shown me a fight."

"Thanks," said he, "and I know you are a judge. 'Twas pretty whilst it
lasted; and, seeing that my lads were, for the most, scurvy-rotten, I
will say they fought with credit. I have lost my Lord Tatho's navy, but
I think Phorenice will see me righted there. If those that are against
her took so much trouble to kill my Lord Deucalion before he could come
to her aid, I can fancy she will not be niggard in her joy when I put
Deucalion safe, if somewhat dented and blood-bespattered, on the quay."

"The Gods know," I said, for it is never my custom to discuss policies
with my inferiors, even though etiquette be for the moment loosened,
as ours was then by the thrill of battle. "The Gods will decide what
is best for you, Tob, even as they have decided that it is best that I
should go on to Atlantis."

The sailor held a horn filled from the wine-skin in his hand, and I
think was minded to pour a libation at my feet, even as I had done at
his. But he changed his mind, and e