Fleece, and it became a proverb that nobody could take that Fleece away, nor deceive the Dragon who guarded it. The next part will tell who took the Fleece back to the Grecian land, and how he achieved this adventure.

II

THE SEARCH FOR THE FLEECE

SOME years after the Golden Ram died in Colchis, far across the sea, a certain king reigned in Greece, and his name was Pelias. He was not the rightful king, for he had turned his brother from the throne, and taken it for himself. Now, this brother had a son, a boy called Jason, and he sent him far away from Pelias, up into the mountains. In these hills there was a great cave, and in that cave lived Chiron who was half a horse. He had the head and breast of a man, but a horse's body and legs. He was famed for knowing more about everything than any one else in all Greece. He knew about the stars, and the plants of earth, which were good for medicine, and which were poisonous. He

was the best archer with the bow, and the best player of the harp, he knew most songs and stories of old times, for he was the last of a people half-horse and half-man, who had dwelt in ancient times on the hills. Therefore, the kings in Greece sent their sons to him to be taught shooting, singing, and telling the truth; and that was all the teaching they had then, except that they learned to hunt, and fish, and fight, and throw spears, and toss the hammer, and the stone. There Jason lived with Chiron and the boys in the cave, and many of the boys became famous. There was Orpheus, who played the harp so sweetly that wild beasts followed his minstrelsy, and even the trees danced after him, and settled where he stopped playing; and there was Mopsus, who could understand what the birds say to each other; and there was Butes, the handsomest of men; and Tiphys, the best steersman of a ship; and Castor, with his brother Polydeuces, the boxer; and Heracles, the strongest man in the whole world, was there; and Lynceus, whom they called Keen-eye, because he could see so far, and he could see the dead men in their graves under the earth; and there was Euphemus, so swift and light-footed that he

could run upon the gray sea, and never wet his feet; and there were Calais and Zetes, the two sons of the North Wind, with golden wings upon their feet; and many others were there whose names it would take too long to tell. They all grew up together in the hills, good friends, healthy, and brave, and strong. And they all went out to their own homes at last; but Jason had no home to go to, for his uncle, Pelias, had taken it, and his father was a wanderer.

So at last he wearied of being alone, and he said good-by to his old teacher, and went down through the hills toward Iolcos, his father's old home, where his wicked uncle, Pelias, was reigning. As he went, he came to a great, flooded river, running red from bank to bank, rolling the round boulders along. And there on the bank was an old woman sitting.

"Cannot you cross, mother?" said Jason; and she said she could not, but must wait till the flood fell, for there was no bridge.

"I'll carry you across," said Jason, “if you will let me carry you.'

So she thanked him, and said it was a kind deed, for she was longing to reach the cottage where her little grandson lay sick.

Then he knelt down, and she climbed upon his back, and he used his spear for a staff, and stepped into the river. It was deeper than he thought, and stronger, but at last he staggered out on the further bank, far below where he went in. And then he set the old woman down.

"Bless you, my lad, for a strong man and a brave!" she said, "and my blessing will go with you to the world's end."

Then he looked, and she was gone he did not know where, for she was the greatest of the goddesses, Hera, the wife of Zeus, who had taken the shape of an old woman.

Then Jason went down limping to the city, for he had lost one shoe in the flood. And when he reached the town he went straight up to the palace, and through the court, and into the open door, and up the hall, where the king was sitting at his table, among his men. There Jason stood, leaning on the spear.

When the king saw him, he turned white with terror. For he had been told that a man with only one shoe would come some day, and take away his kingdom. And there was the half-shod man of whom the prophecy had spoken.

But he still remembered to be courteous, and he