194 THE WONDER-BOOK OF HORSES 



great Hector, was struck from behind. His 

 helmet was smitten from his head and rolled rat- 

 tling away beneath the horses' hoofs; the long 

 lance which he bore was shattered in his hands, 

 and the tasseled shield fell with a crash to the 

 ground. The Greeks afterward said that no mor- 

 tal dealt that blow, but only Apollo, whom no 

 man can withstand. Dazed and blind and sorely 

 wounded, Patroclus would have fled to the succor 

 of his comrades. But Hector, seeing his sorry 

 plight, now rushed upon him and with his spear 

 gave him his death wound. With a crash the hero 

 fell headlong to the ground, and the swift-footed 

 steeds bore the chariot and Automedon, the dri- 

 ver, away from the field. 



Then, throughout the rest of the day, Trojans 

 and Greeks fought around the body of Patroclus, 

 these that they might carry it to the ships, and 

 those that they might drag it in triumph into the 

 city. Swift and Old-Gold, when they had gotten 

 away from the thick of battle and knew their 

 warrior had fallen, would move no farther but 

 stood still and wept. Vainly did Automedon try 

 to coax them with gentle words; vainly did he 

 ply the cruel lash ; they would neither go back to 

 the ships nor return to the field of fight. With 



