HELIOS'S FOUR-IN-HAND 7 



the Other rowdies who were with Epaphos; and 

 some young girls that were passing tossed their 

 heads and smiled. 



" I will show you ! " cried Phaethon, angrily. 

 " I will do what none of you dare do : I will ride 

 the wild horses of the plain; I will harness them 

 to the king's war-chariot, and drive them in the 

 great circus! I will prove to you that I am 

 worthy to be called the son of Helios ! " 



" Perhaps you will take his place as driver of 

 the sun-chariot? A day's rest now and then 

 would do the old man great good," sneered Epa- 

 phos. 



Phaethon hesitated. " My father," said he, 

 " is one of the immortals, and I am earth-born. 

 And yet — and yet — " 



" And yet," shouted his tormentors, " until you 

 have driven the sun-chariot through the skies, 

 nobody will believe that you are the son of He- 

 lios!" 



And they went on their way laughing. 



"You may sneer, and you may laugh," said 

 Phaethon, " but the time will come when you 

 will honor me, both for what I am and for what 

 I can do." 



Steadily, and with a determined purpose, he set 



