SWIFT AND OLD-GOLD 187 



THIRD HEAT— THE KINGS MESSENGERS 



That night the men of Troy encamped on the 

 plain between the city and the ships, and Swift 

 and Old-Gold looking out could see a thousand 

 watch-fires blazing, and in the gleam of each sat 

 fifty warriors proudly boasting of their deeds. 

 But the Greeks were cowering among their tents 

 on the shore and debating whether to betake them- 

 selves at once to their ships and return in dis- 

 grace to their native land, or whether to try the 

 uncertain issue of another day of battle. 



" Ah ! " cried Swift, peering into the gloom. 

 " Who comes here ? It must be the men whom 

 Agamemnon has sent out to treat with our 

 master." 



Moving with great caution along the shore, 

 lest they should be heard by some Trojan picket, 

 three noble Greeks were making their way toward 

 the hut of Achilles. They were Ajax, the cousin 

 of Achilles and next to him the mightiest of 

 living heroes ; Ulysses, the wiliest of the Grecian 

 chiefs; and knightly old Phoinix, who had once 

 been Achilles's schoolmaster in Phthia. With 

 these men were also two heralds who came to 



