st the rest,
and they fought and were never weary, till they all lay dead upon the
ground.

And the magic furrows opened, and the kind earth took them home again,
and Jason's work was done.

Then the heroes rose and shouted, and Jason cried to the King, "Lead
me to the Golden Fleece this moment before the sun goes down."

But Aietes thought, "Who is this, who is proof against all magic? He
may kill the serpent yet!" So he delayed, and sat taking counsel with
his princes. Afterwards he bade a herald cry, "To-morrow we will meet
these heroes and speak about the Golden Fleece!"

Then he turned and looked at Medeia. "This is your doing, false
witch-maid," he said; "you have helped these yellow-haired strangers."

Medeia shrank and trembled, and her face grew pale with fear, and
Aietes knew that she was guilty, and he whispered, "If they win the
fleece, you die."

Now the heroes went marching toward their ship, growling, like lions
cheated of their prey. "Let us go together to the grove and take
the fleece by force," they said. But Jason held them back, while he
praised them for brave heroes, for he hoped for Medeia's help.

And after a time she came trembling, and wept a long while before she
spoke. At last she said, "I must die, for my father has found out that
I have helped you."

But all the heroes cried, "If you die we die with you, for without you
we cannot win the fleece, and home we will never go without it."

"You need not die," said Jason to the witch-maiden. "Flee home with
us across the sea. Show us but how to win the fleece, and come with us
and you shall be my queen, and rule over the rich princes in Iolcos by
the sea."

And all the heroes pressed round and vowed to her that she should be
their queen.

Medeia wept and hid her face in her hands. "Must I leave my home and
my people?" she sobbed. "But the lot is cast: I will show you how to
win the Golden Fleece. Bring up your ship to the woodside, and moor
her there against the bank. And let Jason come up at midnight and one
brave comrade with him, and meet me beneath the wall."

Then all the heroes cried together, "I will go--and I--and I!"

But Medeia calmed them and said, "Orpheus shall go with Jason, and
take his magic harp."

And Orpheus laughed for joy and clapped his hands, because the choice
had fallen on him.

So at midnight they went up the bank and found Medeia, and she brought
them to a thicket beside the War-god's gate.

And the