6o THE WONDER-BOOK OF HORSES 



me. He raised his eyes to mine, smiled feebly, 

 pressed my hand as in forgiveness, and was no 

 more. 



" I knew that I dared not return home, for the 

 laws of our country are very severe against any 

 one who, though by accident, causes the death 

 of another. Indeed, until I could be purified from 

 my brother's blood, I dared not, as you know, 

 look any man in the face. For a long time I wan- 

 dered hither and thither, like a hunted beast, 

 shunning the sight of every human being, and 

 living upon nuts and fruits and such small game 

 as I could bring down with my arrows. At 

 length I bethought me that perhaps old King 

 Proetus of Tiryns, in whose land I then was, 

 might purify me; or if not, he might at least slay 

 me at the altar, which would be better than liv- 

 ing longer as a fugitive ; and so, under the cover 

 of night, I went down into Tiryns, and entering 

 the temple with my cloak thrown over my head, 

 knelt down at the shrine where penitent men are 

 wont to seek purification. 



" I need not tell you how the king found me 

 and purified me and took me into his own house 

 and treated me for a long time as his own son; 

 it would make my story too long. . . . But a few 



