The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-22

at each other at close range, and, watch
ing his opportunity, as Hector came near
err, Ajax drove a spear through the Tro-
JAMS buckler and wounded him in the
neck, so that the blood gushed out upon
his shining shield.
But Hector did not give up the fight
thus. Having exhausted his lances, he
bent down and seized huge rock which,
with his mighty strength. he tore from
the earth and sent crashing upon the
shield of Ajax. Ajax bent beneath the
blow. but, recovering himself, he too
seized great rock and hurled 1t upon the
shield of Hector. Hector's knees gave
way and the crushing stone stretched him
upon the ground, but he was up again in
a trice and both champions, drawing their
swords and making them sing in flaming
circles in the air. rushed toward each
other.
But now between the combatants came
the heralds of Troy and Greece. raising
their peaceful sceptres and bidding the
combat cease, as the shades of night were
beginning to fall. Ajax answered that as
Hector had been the challenger he would
willingly forego further battle that day
IL the Trojan prince asked 1t. Hector re-
piled that Ajax was the first and best of
Greeks, a foeman worthy of the best of
Troy, and, as night was now so rapidly
closing in he would ask that they cease
| their struggle On some future day they
would meet again and again do battle
with each other. And Hector begged that
| they might at the close of this, their
furious combat exchange some gift that
future generations might say that these
two great chiefs fought for love of glory
and not from hatred of each other. Then
handed he to Ajax his sword, studded
with stars of silver, and his sword belt
rich with silver trimmings, while Ajax in
return gave to Hector his rare and costly
belt, dyed with rich purple and radiant
with gold and silver. Courteously after
this exchange the two heroes parted and
took their way, the one to the Trojan and
the other to the waiting Grecian ranks.
| There was gloom among the Trojans,
for, take 1t all In all, the honors of the
day had been with the Greeks. King
| Priam called a council of his chief men
and the senior among them. the aged
Antenor, advised that the Spartan treas
ure which Paris had carried away when
he eloped with Helen be restored, and that
| Helen be returned to her rightful lord,
Menelaus. II this were done all would be
we'll with Troy divine; but. this advice re-
jected proud Iliums walls would crumble
into dust But then arose the radiant
Paris and said: For the sake of peace
I will restore the Spartan treasure and
add to 1t mine own. but give up Helen 1
! neither can nor WILL whatever may be-
| fall" A clamor Of tongues now arose as
each counselor tried to speak at once and
offer some advice and each commended
with the other. But Priam quieted the tu-
multuous assembly and babe each man go
and take refreshments. as the hour de-
manded, and to watch well the walls, and
declared that in the morning his herald
would go to the Grecian ranks with the
proposition Of his son to give up, for the
sake of peace. his own treasure and the
looted treasure of Sparta.
With the hrst glimpse Of the rosy
light the Trojan herald came with his
/ message to the Grecian camp. Agamem-
non rejected with scorn the proposal
OF Paris to restore the treasure and re-
tain Helen. but consented to a truce
for the burial of the dead who had
fallen in the recent conflicts. While
this truce lasts and the funeral pyres
are blazing along the shore and on the
plain. incinerating both the Trojan and
the Grecian dead. the Greeks, by ad-
vice Of Nestor, labor diligently to erect
Notifications to protect their camp and
their ships They flank the lines Of
breastworks with flowers and defend
the approaches with bitches and palfs-
AIDES.
Both armies after the funeral rites
pass the night in feasting. and a fleet
opportunity arriving from Lemnos with
a cargo Of rich wines. sent BY the