SWIFT AND OLD-GOLD 1 97 



they stood beside the chariot in the blazing light 

 of the watch-fires, and champed white barley and 

 spelt, and waited impatiently for the day. 



" To-day our master will drive the Greeks into 

 the sea," said red ^thon as the dawn arose be- 

 hind the distant mountains. 



" Yes," said Galathe, " to-day he will rid Troy 

 of her foes. See! he has donned the armor of 

 the gods which he stripped from foolhardy Patro- 

 clus. Not even Achilles would dare meet him 



now." 



And when the sun had risen, gilding the towers 

 of Troy with his beams. Hector marshaled his 

 host and mounting his chariot led them forth to 

 battle again. 



In the meanwhile the death of Patroclus had 

 wrought a great change in the stubborn heart of 

 Achilles. His wrath toward Agamemnon was 

 laid aside, and he vowed that he would not rest 

 until he had slain Hector and avenged his friend. 

 All night long he sat before the tents and wept, 

 and as soon as morning dawned he hastened to 

 prepare himself for the battle. The armor with 

 which he girded himself was better even than that 

 which he had lost through Patroclus's sad mis- 

 fortune. For it had been wrought by Vulcan, the 



