then and indeed all the rest began to lose hope for plainly they could row no farther alas said the heroes half angrily and each seeking to throw the blame upon another is this to be the end of our quest shall we remain here and perish in this savage wood or shall we float back to the sea from whence we came and try to find some other passage homeward then all went ashore and while some built a under the trees and sat around it telling old stories of the golden age others wandered far into the woods to see what new thing they might discover among these last was with his bow in his hand and watching eagerly for any sign of game he pushed his way alone through the tangled suddenly he heard a rustling of leaves and branches near him and he drew his arrow ready for a shot then to his great surprise he saw a maiden walking beneath the trees her limbs were clad the golden in polished and upon her feet she wore strong bound about with of leather from her shoulders fell a cloak of cloth full rich and soft and embroidered beautifully with gold on her head she wore a and in her hands she carried a mighty bow her face was very fair and her eyes with laughter as she spoke to what luck have you had to day she asked seeming not surprised to meet a stranger in that solitary place then in every limb answered neither bird nor beast have i fair lady nor do i think that this wood affords much game for the then why do you wander in a place so bare of that which heroic men like you asked the maiden it is not of my free choice answered but some ill fate has brought me and my comrades to this spot hoping that we might find a passage to the western sea lo yonder in the shallow stream is our ship which no strength of oar can drive farther no western sea have we found but only this desolate forest forsaken even by the beasts i might show you the way to that western sea the voyage up the said the maiden smiling but you still must voyage many before you find it indeed you must wander long and face many and dire perils before you see the shores of greece again for is angry with you because of the death of young and scarcely will he permit you to carry home the golden but come with me she turned and followed her through the tangled woods very soon she paused in an open space where the ground downward and no trees were seen beyond but only the clear blue sky come hither she said and see what lies beyond and then remember that it was the messenger of queen that led you to this spot while she spoke a great change came over her and now she seemed no longer a warrior maiden in but a dainty fairy floating in the summer air her arms were bare her yellow hair like streamed behind from her shoulders rose two wings that bore her swiftly upward toward the sky and her long trailing in the air with all the colors of the rainbow for only a moment did see her thus and then she vanished he looked toward the spot the golden where she had last stood and there to his surprise he saw not trees nor green grass but a broad deep river flowing silently to some distant unknown sea oh if only the were launched upon that noble stream he cried and he hastened back to tell his comrades of all that he had seen adventure the island of for many days the heroes toiled with a will clearing a from the spot where the lay to the banks of the new found river when this was done they built a broad platform of well framed together and underneath it they placed huge wheels from the trunk of an ancient oak with infinite labor and by main strength alone they lifted the mighty inch by inch and slid her now forward cried yo heave ho and every hero strained his utmost to move the ponderous car now yo heave ho the wheels began to and very slowly the great platform with its water soaked burden to move then playing his walked on before and the hearts of the heroes grew light as they put their shoulders to the work faster and faster the wheels went round and like the golden a living thing glided onward between the trees nevertheless the road was rough and many a caused therefore ten days elapsed before the ship laden wagon stood upon the bank of the broad river which hoped would bear them soon once more the was floating like a bird upon the water and all the heroes shouted for joy they broke up the and beams and wheels of the now useless car and with them built an altar to mighty then they laid and cakes and and many costly things pleasing to the father of the gods at length when all things were in readiness they poured wine upon the and set fire to the huge pile the flames shot upward the heroes with a shout bent to their oars and joyfully glided away on her voyage down the unknown river onward with the stream the heroes sailed and their hearts were light within them for they felt that surely they would soon behold the welcome shores of greece but when they came to the mouth of the river and to the open sea the whole world was strange and no man could tell which way to steer the course so they sailed onward at trusting to discover some well known the island of i or other by which to find their 