tance was too great; he came down upon his knees,
threw Cyrus violently forward almost over his head, and then, with a
bound and a scramble, recovered his feet and went on. Cyrus clung
tenaciously to the horse's mane, and at length succeeded in getting
back to the saddle, though, for a moment his life was in the most
imminent danger. His attendants were extremely terrified, though he
himself seemed to experience no feeling but the pleasurable
excitement of the chase; for, as soon as the obstacle was cleared, he
pressed on with new impetuosity after the stag, overtook him, and
killed him with his javelin. Then, alighting from his horse, he stood
by the side of his victim, to wait the coming up of the party, his
countenance beaming with an expression of triumph and delight.

His attendants, however, on their arrival, instead of applauding his
exploit, or seeming to share his pleasure, sharply reproved him for
his recklessness and daring. He had entirely disregarded their
instructions, and they threatened to report him to his grandfather.
Cyrus looked perplexed and uneasy. The excitement and the pleasure of
victory and success were struggling in his mind against his dread of
his grandfather's displeasure. Just at this instant he heard a new
halloo. Another party in the neighborhood had roused fresh game. All
Cyrus's returning sense of duty was blown at once to the winds. He
sprang to his horse with a shout of wild enthusiasm, and rode off
toward the scene of action. The game which had been started, a furious
wild boar, just then issued from a thicket directly before him. Cyrus,
instead of shunning the danger, as he ought to have done, in
obedience to the orders of those to whom his grandfather had intrusted
him, dashed on to meet the boar at full speed, and aimed so true a
thrust with his javelin against the beast as to transfix him in the
forehead. The boar fell, and lay upon the ground in dying struggles,
while Cyrus's heart was filled with joy and triumph even greater than
before.

When Cyaxares came up, he reproved Cyrus anew for running such risks.
Cyrus received the reproaches meekly, and then asked Cyaxares to give
him the two animals that he had killed; he wanted to carry them home
to his grandfather.

"By no means," said Cyaxares, "your grandfather would be very much
displeased to know what you had done. He would not only condemn you
for acting thus, but he would reprove us too, severely, for allowing
you to d