第5章

Theywereamazedwhentheyheardhimspeakintheirowntongue；buthewhoheldthedishbroughtitnearer，likeamanthatangersadog，nowofferingthemeat，andnowtakingitaway。

Sosoonasthemanwaswithinreach，theWanderersprangout，theloosenedbondsfallingathisfeet，andsmotethesailorbeneaththeearwithhisclenchedfist。Theblowwassofierce，forallhisangerwentintoit，thatitcrushedthebone，anddrovethemanagainstthemastoftheshipsothatthestrongmastshook。Wherehefell，therehelay，hisfeetkickingtheflooroftheholdinhisdeath-pain。

ThentheWanderersnatchedfromthemasthisbowandhisshortsword，slungthequiverabouthisshoulders，andranontotheraiseddeckingoftheprow。

Thebulwarksofthedeckwerehigh，andthevesselwasnarrow，andbeforethesailorscouldstirforamazementtheWandererhadtakenhisstandbehindthelittlealtarandthedwarf-gods。Herehestoodwithanarrowonthestring，andthebowdrawntohisear，lookingabouthimterribly。

NowpanicanddreadcameontheSidonianswhentheysawhimstandingthus，andoneofthesailorscried:

“Alas！whatgodhavewetakenandbound？Ourshipmaynotcontainhim。

SurelyheisResefMikal，theGodoftheBow，whomtheyofJavancallApollo。Nay，letuslandhimontheisleandcomenottoblowswithhim，butentreathismercy，lestherousethewavesandthewindsagainstus。“

ButthecaptainoftheshipoftheSidonianscried:

“Notso，yeknaves！Haveathim，forheisnogod，butamortalman；

andhisarmourisworthmanyayokeofoxen！“

Thenhebadesomeofthemclimbthedeckingatthefurtherendoftheship，andthrowspearsathimthence；andhecalledotherstobringuponeofthelongspearsandchargehimwiththat。Nowthesewerehugepikes，thatwerewieldedbyfiveorsixmenatonce，andnoarmourcouldwithstandthem；theywereusedinthefightstodrivebackboarders，andtowardoffattacksonshipswhichwerebeachedonshoreinthesiegesoftowns。

Themenwhomthecaptainappointedlittlelikedthetask，forthelongspearswerelaidontresselsalongthebulwarks，andtoreachthemandunshipthemitwasneedfultocomewithinrangeofthebow。Butthesailorsonthefurtherdeckthrewalltheirspearsatonce，whilefivemenleapedonthedeckwheretheWandererstood。Heloosedthebowstringandtheshaftspedonitsway；againhedrewandloosed，andnowtwoofthemhadfallenbeneathhisarrows，andonewasstruckbyachanceblowfromaspearthrownfromthefurtherdeck，andtheothertwoleapedbackintothehold。

ThentheWanderershoutedfromthehighdeckingoftheprowinthespeechoftheSidonians:

“Yedogs，yehavesailedonyourlatestseafaring，andneveragainshallyebringthehourofslaveryonanyman。“

Sohecried，andthesailorsgatheredtogetherinthehold，andtookcounselhowtheyshoulddealwithhim。Butmeanwhilethebowwassilent，andofthoseonthehinderdeckwhowerecastingspears，onedroppedandtheothersquicklyfledtotheirfellowsbelow，foronthedecktheyhadnocover。

Thesunwasnowwellrisen，andshoneontheWanderer’sgoldenmail，ashestoodaloneonthedecking，withhisbowdrawn。Thesunshone，therewassilence，theshipswungtoheranchor；andstillhewaited，lookingdown，hisarrowpointingatthelevelofthedecktoshootatthefirstheadwhichroseabovetheplanking。Suddenlytherewasarushofmenontothefurtherdecking，andcertainofthemtoretheshieldsthatlinedthebulwarksfromtheirpins，andthrewthemdowntothosewhowerebelow，whileotherscastashowerofspearsattheWanderer。Someofthespearsheavoided；othersleapedbackfromhismail；othersstoodfastinthealtarandinthebodiesofthedwarf-

gods；whileheansweredwithanarrowthatdidnotmissitsaim。Buthiseyeswerealwayswatchingmostkeenlythehatchesnearesthim，whenceagangwayrandowntothelowerpartoftheship，wheretheoarsmensat；foronlythencecouldtheymakearushonhim。Ashewatchedanddrewanarrowfromthequiveronhisshoulder，hefelt，asitwere，ashadowbetweenhimandthedeck。Heglancedupquickly，andthere，ontheyardabovehishead，aman，whohadclimbedthemastfrombehind，wascreepingdowntodroponhimfromabove。ThentheWanderersnatchedashortspearandcastitattheman。Thespearspedquickerthanathought，andpinnedhistwohandstotheyardsothathehungtherehelpless，shriekingtohisfriends。ButthearrowsoftheWandererkeptrainingonthemenwhostoodonthefurtherdeck，andpresentlysomeofthem，too，leapeddowninterror，cryingthathewasagodandnotaman，whileothersthrewthemselvesintothesea，andswamfortheisland。

ThentheWandererhimselfwaitednolonger，seeingthemallamazed，buthedrewhisswordandleapeddownamongthemwithacrylikeasea-eagleswoopingonseamewsinthecreviceofarock。Torightandlefthesmotewiththeshortsword，makingahavocandsparingnone，fortheswordravenedinhishand。Andsomefelloverthebenchesandoars，butsuchofthesailorsascouldfleerushedupthegangwayintothefurtherdeck，andthencesprangoverboard，whilethosewhohadnotthelucktofleefellwheretheystood，andscarcelystruckablow。

Onlythecaptainoftheship，knowingthatallwaslost，turnedandthrewaspearintheWanderer’sface。Buthewatchedtheflashofthebronzeandstoopedhishead，sothatthespearstruckonlythegoldenhelmandpierceditthrough，butscarcelygrazedhishead。NowtheWanderersprangontheSidoniancaptain，andsmotehimwiththeflatofhisswordsothathefellsenselessonthedeck，andthenheboundhimhandandfootwithcordsashehimselfhadbeenbound，andmadehimfasttotheironbarinthehold。Nexthegatheredupthedeadinhismightyarms，andsetthemagainstthebulwarksofthefore-deck——

harvestingthefruitsofWar。Abovethedeckthemanwhohadcreptalongtheyardwashangingbyhistwohandswhichthespearhadpinnedtogethertotheyard。

“Artthouthere，friend？“criedtheWanderer，mockinghim。“Hastthouchosentostaywithmeratherthangowiththyfriends，orseeknewservice？Nay，then，asthouartsostaunch，abidethereandkeepagoodlook-outfortherivermouthandthemarketwherethoushaltsellmeforagreatprice。“Sohespoke，butthemanwasalreadydeadofpainandfear。ThentheWandererunbuckledhisgoldenarmour，whichclangeduponthedeck，anddrewfreshwaterfromtheholdtocleansehimself，forhewasstainedlikealionthathasdevouredanox。Next，withagoldencombhecombedhislongdarkcurls，andhegatheredhisarrowsoutofthebodiesofthedead，andoutofthethwartsandthesidesoftheship，cleansedthem，andlaidthembackinthequiver。

Whenallthiswasendedheputonhisarmouragain；butstrongashewas，hecouldnottearthespearfromthehelmwithoutbreakingthegold；sohesnappedtheshaftandputonthehelmetwiththepointofthejavelinstillfixedfirminthecrest，asFatewouldhaveitso，andthiswasthebeginningofhissorrows。Nextheatemeatandbread，anddrankwine，andpouredforthsomeofthewinebeforehisgods。

Lastlyhedraggeduptheheavystonewithwhichtheshipwasmoored，astoneheavierfar，theysay，thantwoothermencouldlift。Hetookthetillerinhishand；thesteadynorthwind，theEtesianwind，keptblowinginthesails，andhesteeredstraightsouthwardforthemouthsoftheNile。

Ahardfightithadbeenandalong，andtheWandererwasweary。Hetookthetilleroftheshipinhishand，andsteeredfortheSouthandforthenoondaysun，whichwasnowathishighestintheheavens。Butsuddenlythebrightlightoftheskywasdarkenedandtheairwasfilledwiththerush，andthemurmur，andthewinnowingofinnumerablewings。ItwasasifallthebirdsthathavetheirhomesandseektheirfoodinthegreatsaltmarshofCaysterhadrisenfromtheSouthandhadflownoverseainonehour，fortheheavenwasdarkenedwiththeirflight，andloudwiththecallofcranesandthewhistlingcryofthewildducks。Sodarkwasthethickmassofflyingfowl，thataflightofswansshonesnowyagainsttheblackcloudoftheirwings。AttheviewofthemtheWanderercaughthisboweagerlyintohishandandsetanarrowonthestring，and，takingacarefulaimatthewhitewedgeofbirds，heshotawildswanthroughthebreastasitswepthighoverthemast。Then，withallthespeedofitsrush，thewildwhiteswanflasheddownlikelightningintotheseabehindtheship。TheWandererwatcheditsfall，when，lo！thewaterwherethedeadswanfellsplashedupasredasbloodandallafoam！Thelongsilverwingsandsnowyplumagefloatedonthesurfacefleckedwithblood-redstains，andtheWanderermarvelledashebentoverthebulwarksandgazedsteadilyuponthesea。Thenhesawthatthewidesearoundtheshipwascovered，asfarastheeyecouldreach，asitwerewithablood-

redscum。Hitherandthithertheredstainwastossedlikefoam，yetbeneath，wherethedeepwavedivided，theWanderersawthatthestreamsoftheseaweregreyandgreenbelowthecrimsondye。Ashewatchedhesaw，too，thattheredfrothwasdriftedalwaysonwardfromtheSouthandfromthemouthoftheRiverofEgypt，forbehindthewakeoftheshipitwasmostredofall，thoughhehadnotmarkeditwhenthebattleraged。Butinfrontthecolourgrewthin，asifthestainthattheriverwasheddownwasallbutspent。InhishearttheWandererthought，asanymanmusthavedeemed，thatonthebanksoftheRiverofEgypttherehadbeensomebattleofgreatnations，andthattheWarGodhadragedfuriously，whereforetheholyriverasitranforthstainedallthesacredsea。Wherewarwas，therewashishome，nootherhomehadhenow，andallthemoreeagerlyhesteeredrightontoseewhattheGodswouldsendhim。Theflightofbirdswasoverandpast；itwastwohoursafternoon，thelightwashighintheheaven，when，ashegazed，anothershadowfellonhim，forthesuninmid-heavengrewsmall，andredasblood。SlowlyamistroseupoveritfromtheSouth，amistthatwasthinbutasblackasnight。Beyond，tothesouthward，therewasabankofcloudlikeamountainwall，steep，andpolished，andblack，tippedalongtheraggedcrestwithfire，andopeningeverandagainwithflashesofintolerablesplendour，whilethebaseswerescrawledoverwithlightninglikeawrittenscroll。

NeverhadtheWandererinallhisvoyagingontheseaandonthegreatRiverOceanusthatgirdlestheearth，andseversthedeadfromthelivingmen——neverhadhebeheldsuchadarkness。Presentlyhecameasitwerewithinthejawsofit，darkasawolf’smouth，sodarkthathemightnotseethecorpsesonthedeck，northemast，northedeadmanswingingfromtheyard，northecaptainofthePh？nicianswhogroanedaloudbelow，prayingtohisgods。Butinthewakeoftheshiptherewasonebreakofclearblueskyonthehorizon，inwhichthelittleislewherehehadslaintheSidoniansmightbediscernedfaroff，asbrightandwhiteasivory。