ay break into the hall and save us."
But Melanthius said, "It can not be, for it is near the gate of the
hall, and one man may guard it against a hundred. But I will bring you
arms, for I know that Odysseus and his son have stowed them away in
the inner chamber." Hastily he ran thither and brought forth shields
and spears and helmets, and the heart of Odysseus failed him for fear
as he saw the suitors donning their armor and brandishing the lances.
"Who has done this?" he asked, and Telemachus answered, "It is my
fault, my father. I left the door ajar, but Eumaius shall go and see
whether some of the women have given this help to the suitors, or
whether, as I think, it be Melanthius." So Eumaius and the cowherd
placed themselves on one side of the chamber door, and when Melanthius
came forth with more arms for the chieftains, they caught him, and
binding him with stout cords they hoisted him up to the beams and left
him dangling in the air. "Keep guard there, Melanthius, all night long
in thy airy hammock, and when the golden Morning comes back from the
stream of Ocean you will not fail to see her."

But in the hall the troop of suitors stood facing Odysseus and
Telemachus in deadly rage, and presently Athene stood before them in
the likeness of Mentor. Then all besought her help, and the suitors
threatened her, and said, "Be not led astray, Mentor, by the words of
Odysseus, for if you side with him, we will leave you neither house
nor lands, wife nor children, when we have taken vengeance for the
evil deeds of the son of Laertes." But the wrath of Athene was kindled
more fiercely, and she said, "Where is thy strength, Odysseus? Many a
year the Trojans fell beneath the stroke of thy sword, and by thy
wisdom it was that the Achaians stormed the walls of breezy Ilion. And
now dost thou stand trembling in thine own hall?" Then the form of
Mentor vanished, and they saw a swallow fly away above the roof-tree.
In great fear the suitors took council together, and six of them stood
forth and hurled their spears at Odysseus and Telemachus. But all
missed their mark except Amphimedon and Ktesippus, and these wounded
Telemachus on the wrist and Eumaius on the shoulder.

But once again Athene came, and this time she held aloft her awful
AEgis before the eyes of the suitors, and the hearts of all fainted for
fear, so that they huddled together like cattle which have heard the
lion's roar, and like cattle were they slain, and the fl