Now the spring that Hylas was going toward was called Pegae, and it was
haunted by the nymphs. They were dancing around it when they heard
Hylas singing. They stole softly off to watch him. Hidden behind trees
the nymphs saw the boy come near, and they felt such love for him that
they thought they could never let him go from their sight.

They stole back to their spring, and they sank down below its clear
surface. Then came Hylas singing a song that he had heard from his
mother. He bent down to the spring, and the brimming water flowed into
the sounding bronze of the pitcher. Then hands came out of the water.
One of the nymphs caught Hylas by the elbow; another put her arms
around his neck, another took the hand that held the vessel of bronze.
The pitcher sank down to the depths of the spring. The hands of the
nymphs clasped Hylas tighter, tighter; the water bubbled around him as
they drew him down. Down, down they drew him, and into the cold and
glimmering cave where they live.

There Hylas stayed. But although the nymphs kissed him and sang to him,
and showed him lovely things, Hylas was not content to be there.

Where the Argonauts were the fires burned, the moon arose, and still
Hylas did not return. Then they began to fear lest a wild beast had
destroyed the boy. One went to Heracles and told him that young Hylas
had not come back, and that they were fearful for him. Heracles flung
down the pine tree that he was fashioning into an oar, and he dashed
along the way that Hylas had gone as if a gadfly were stinging him.
"Hylas, Hylas," he cried. But Hylas, in the cold and glimmering cave
that the nymphs had drawn him into, did not hear the call of his friend
Heracles.

All the Argonauts went searching, calling as they went through the
island, "Hylas, Hylas, Hylas!" But only their own calls came back to
them. The morning star came up, and Tiphys, the steersman, called to
them from the Argo. And when they came to the ship Tiphys told them
that they would have to go aboard and make ready to sail from that
place.

They called to Heracles, and Heracles at last came down to the ship.
They spoke to him, saying that they would have to sail away. Heracles
would not go on board. "I will not leave this island," he said, "until
I find young Hylas or learn what has happened to him."

Then Jason arose to give the command to depart. But before the words
were said Telamon stood up and faced him. "Jason," he said angrily,
"yo