ade its lair in the swamps
of Lerna. Heracles stayed to feast another day, and then, with the
lion's skin across his shoulders and the great club in his hands, he
started off. But this time he did not go alone; the boy Iolaus went
with him.

Heracles and Iolaus went on until they came to the vast swamp of Lerna.
Right in the middle of the swamp was the water snake that was called
the Hydra. Nine heads it had, and it raised them up out of the water as
the hero and his companion came near. They could not cross the swamp to
come to the monster, for man or beast would sink and be lost in it.

The Hydra remained in the middle of the swamp belching mud at the hero
and his companion. Then Heracles took up his bow and he shot flaming
arrows at its heads. It grew into such a rage that it came through the
swamp to attack him. Heracles swung his club. As the Hydra came near he
knocked head after head off its body.

But for every head knocked off two grew upon the Hydra. And as he
struggled with the monster a huge crab came out of the swamp, and
gripping Heracles by the foot tried to draw him in. Then Heracles cried
out. The boy Iolaus came; he killed the crab that had come to the
Hydra's aid.

Then Heracles laid hands upon the Hydra and drew it out of the swamp.
With his club he knocked off a head and he had Iolaus put fire to where
it had been, so that two heads might not grow in that place. The life
of the Hydra was in its middle head; that head he had not been able to
knock off with his club. Now, with his hands he tore it off, and he
placed this head under a great stone so that it could not rise into
life again. The Hydra's life was now destroyed. Heracles dipped his
arrows into the gall of the monster, making his arrows deadly; no thing
that was struck by these arrows afterward could keep its life.

Again he came to Eurystheus's palace, and Eurystheus, seeing him, ran
again and hid himself in the jar. Heracles ordered the servants to tell
the king that he had returned and that the second labor was
accomplished.

Eurystheus, hearing from the servants that Heracles was mild in his
ways, came out of the jar. Insolently he spoke. "Twelve labors you have
to accomplish for me," said he to Heracles, "and eleven yet remain to
be accomplished."

"How?" said Heracles. "Have I not performed two of the labors? Have I
not slain the lion of Nemea and the great water snake of Lerna?"

"In the killing of the water snake you were