hen said Penelope, "What dost thou fear, Antinous? Vex not
thyself with the thought that the beggar will lead me away as his
bride, even if he should be able to stretch the bow of Odysseus."
"Nay, lady," he answered, "it is not that; but I dread lest the
Achaians should say, 'The suitors could not stretch the bow, but there
came a wandering beggar, who did what they strove to do in vain.'"

Then the swineherd took up the bow, but the suitors bade him lay it
down again, until at last Telemachus told Eumaius to bear it to
Odysseus; and as the swineherd placed it in the beggar's hands,
Eurykleia shut the doors of the hall and made them fast with the
tackling of a ship. Then, as Odysseus raised the bow, the thunder
pealed in the heaven, and his heart rejoiced because Zeus had given
him a sign of his great victory. Presently the arrow sped from the
string, and Antinous lay dead upon the floor.

Then the others spake in great wrath, and said, "The vultures shall
tear thy flesh this day, because thou hast slain the greatest chief
in Ithaka." But they knew not, as they spake thus, that the day of the
great vengeance was come; and the voice of Odysseus was heard above
the uproar, as he said, "Wretches, did ye fancy that I should never
stand again in my own hall? Ye have wasted my substance, ye have
sought to steal my wife from me, ye have feared neither gods nor men,
and this is the day of your doom." The cheeks of the suitors turned
ghastly pale through fear; but Eurymachus alone took courage and told
Odysseus that Antinous only had done the mischief, because he wished
to slay Telemachus and become King in Ithaka in the stead of Odysseus.
"Spare, then, the rest, for they are thy people, and we will pay thee
a large ransom." But Odysseus looked sternly at him, and said, "Not
this house full of silver and gold shall stay my hand in the day of my
great vengeance."

Then Eurymachus drew his sword and bade his comrades fight bravely for
their lives; but again the clang of the bow was heard, and Eurymachus
was stretched lifeless on the earth. So they fell, one after the
other, until the floor of the hall was slippery with blood. But
presently the arrows in the quiver of Odysseus were all spent, and
laying his bow against the wall, he raised a great shield on his
shoulder and placed a helmet on his head, and took two spears in his
hand. Then Agelaus called to Melanthius, "Go up to the stair-door and
shout to the people, that they m