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

ships, but between the shore and the
ca ptured camp the more brave and hardy
made firm stand, while the captains
rallied the Grecian forces and, after
much desperate fighting, checked the
Trojan advance.
Then Ajax singled out Hector and
hurled at him a huge stone, which bore
him to the ground and the Trojan prince
was taken senseless to the rear. The
Grecians took heart once more and the
Trojans, feeling the losss of Hector, at
last. after much hard fighting, were
forced to give way while the Greeks res
took the camp. But Hector, returning
to the battle, led another charge upon
the intrenchments, carried them and pur-
sued the Greeks to the shore, where he
attempted to fire the first line of ships.
Ajax, however. rallied his men and not
only prevented the firing Of the ships, but
drove back the ranks of Troy with great
slaughter. Just as the fight was most des-,
perate shout of joy went up from the
ranks of Greece and a shout of fear from
the ranks Of Troy, for, rushing to the
aght. came a warrior clad in the we'll
known armor Of Achilles. II was Patro-
clus thus disguised: but they thought It
was Achilles himself. Achilles had warned
Patrocius not to pursue the Trojans be-
yond the camp, but, the forces Of Troy
giving way, Patrocius. In the heat Of the
combat. forgot his orders and drove them
to the very walls Of Troy. His rashnesa
\
him and killed him with a thrust Of his
lance. But the body of Patrocius was
rescued and borne of to the ships just as
night descending put an end to the battle
for the day.
Much did Achilles sorrow when the news
of his friends death was brought to him,
and Thetis, fastening to the palace of
Vulcan, had him make in short order
new and wonderful suit of armor for her
gallant son. The next morning heralds
came leading back to the tent Of Achilles
the lovely Brsels and bearing many rich
presents from Agamemnon, who had
found to his cost that without Achilles he
could scarce hope for victory Now the
two great chiefs were solemnly reconciled
and clad in the armor made for him by
Vulcan Achilles Joined himself and his
Myrmidons to the Grecian ranks again
and led forth to battle
With great fury he fell upon the Tro-
Jams. killing and taking captive many and
driving the rest within the walls of Troy.
Only Hector refused to enter the gates
and, in spite of the prayers of Priam and
the tears of Hecuba, stayed to wait the
Il
his mighty sword and flew at the Grecian
hero, but the spear of Achilles pierced
his throat and the greatest and most
valiant prince of Troy fell dead upon the
field. In obedience to thought unworthy
of him, Achilles tied the body of Hector
by the heels to the tail of his chariot and
dragged 1t in triumph around the walls
of Troy. That night he left the body
of his great foe exposed upon the ground
for the prowling dogs to devour. but
Venus descended and guarded it until
dawn, when 1t was taken to the Grecian
lines.
The sorrowful and stricken king, the
aged Priam, sending presents to Achilles,
came in state attended by his heralds and
his weeping court, to the tent of the
Grecan heroJ and begged the body of
his brave son. Achilles, touched at the
sorrows and misfortunes Of the aged mon
arch, detained him for the night in his
tent and the next morning sent him back
with the body of Hector of Troy. Then
for a while the Greeks rested from their
battles and celebrated with games and
sacred rites the funeral of Patrocius.
while all Ilium mourned the lost Hector.
Many more battles did the Greeks fight
beneath the walls of Troy, finally captur-
ing the city by the stratagem of the
wooden horse, though the "Iliad' of Ho-
mer ends with the death and, funeral Of
Hector.
| Next weeks one-page classic will be
Eugene Grandet," by Honore Balzac,