The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-21


the harbor of the Aegusan isle where,
when Ulysses had rejoined his COM
panions and told the tale of his ad-
ventures, a great feast was held and
sacrifices offered for the spirits of those
who had fallen prey to the Cyclops.
And they had abundant material fot
feasting for, swift as had been their
flight to their ship when they had es-
capped from the cave, they had not
neglected to appropriate as they went
as large a share of the flocks of the
Cyclops as they conveniently could.
When rudy morning purpled In ths
east the wanderers repaired on board
their ships, set their sails to the ia
voring breeze, swept with their oars
the hoarse, resounding deep and went
to future unknown, glad for the liv
ing and in tears for the dead. At
length they came to the island Of Aeolia
where the god of winds, Aeolus.
reigned. The monarch god received the
wanderers cordially and for a whole
month entertained them royalty.
Then, lending a favorable ear to the
suit of Ulysses, he gave him sailing
directions for his voyage home to It'll
| AGA, and, COMPRISING the unfav orable
winds into leather bags, he gave them
to the hero that he might hang them
in the hold of his ship and know only
favorable breezes on his homeward voy-
age. But the sailors, not knowing what
was in the leather bags, began to
| murmur soon after they had put to
sea, saying to each other that Ulys-
SEES, having gained much spoil from
| the fall of Troy and the sack of the
Ciconian port, now had appropriated to
himself all the valuable gifts of Aeolus
While Ulysses slept they opened the
bags. At once the stormy winds
rushed forth, great tempest swept
over the deep. and it was all they could
do to regain the harbor of Aeolia Aeol-
US, angry at the manner in which his
gift had been treated, sternly babe the
wanderers depart from his shores at
once; people, he intimated. who had
such a hard time of it in trying to
get from Troy to ithaca must be &C.
cursed of the gods, and far be it from
him to interfere with the DEGREES of
fate.
With Responding hearts they put to sea
again. and six days and nights steered a
doubtful course until at length they saw
the proud towers Of Lamos, King of
Laestrygon, arising before them. Ulysses
anchored his flagship outside the bay
but the other ships moored within. The
city was at some distance, and herald
was sent with two others to find out what
| land 1t was and what was the disposition
of the inhabitants toward strangers. Being
! directed to the palace, they entered and
saw the Queen-a huge giantess. At her
| call, her husband came-like her, a crea-
ture huge of bulk One Of the ENJOYS
the King killed and ate, but the other
two fed swiftly to the ships. But before
the vessels could make an offing a band of
giants appeared on the shore, and began
to hurl huge fragments Of rock at them.
The vessels anchored In the bay were all
sung and the giants, spearing the men
struggling in the water as men spear
fish, gorged themselves with human flesh
Only the ship Of Ulysses escaped, and this
one would not have done SO had not UIys-
ses cut the hawsers with his sword and
got under way with incredible swiftness
The transports of Ulysses and his crew
at their own escape were cooled by the
sad fate which had overtaken the rest of
the expedition. Sailing they knew not
whether, the ship of Ulysses came to the
| island of Aeaea, where dwelt Gree,
daughter of the Sun and Perse Of the
strain of Neptune, a goddess-queen pos
sessing the powers of dreadful magic.
But this they did not know nor in what
land they were. and, mindful Of the Cy-
clops and the dreadful Laestrygons. Ulys-
SEES divided his crew into two bands of %
| men each. OF one he took command HIM
self, sand the command of the other he
gave to Eurylochus. his brother-in-law.
They then cast lots to see which band
should march into the interior and confer
with the inhabitants and which should
stay and guard the ship. The lot to go