way and
opening on the corridor. Ulysses had put the swineherd to guard it, and
now the boldest of the suitors said to the rest, "Could not some of us
force a passage there and raise the cry for rescue?"

"Little use in that," said Melanthius, "the great doorway is too close,
and one brave man might stop us all before we reached the court. I have a
better plan. Ulysses and his son have stowed away the weapons, and I think
I know where they are. I will go and fetch you what you need."

With these words he clambered up through the lights of the hall and got
into the armory, and fetched out twelve shields and as many spears and
helmets, and brought them to the princes. The heart of Ulysses misgave him
when he saw the armor and the long spears in their hands; and he felt that
the fight would go hard, and said to Telemachus, "Melanthius or one of the
women has betrayed us."

"Father, it was my fault," said Telemachus; "I left the door of the armory
open, and one of them must have kept sharper watch than I did. Go, Eumaeus,
make fast the door, and see whether this is the doing of Melanthius, as I
guess."

While they spoke, Melanthius went again to fetch more armor, and the
swineherd spied him and said, "There is the villain going to the armory,
as we thought; tell me, shall I kill him, if I can master him, or shall I
bring him here to suffer for his sins?" "Telemachus and I will guard the
doorway here," said Ulysses, "and you and the shepherd shall bind him hand
and foot and leave him in the chamber to wait his doom."

So the two went up to the armory, and stood in wait on either side of the
door; and as Melanthius came out, they leapt upon him and dragged him back
by the hair and flung him on the ground and bound him tightly to a pillar
hand and foot. "Lie there," said Eumaeus, "and take your ease: the dawn
will not find you sleeping, when it is time for you to rise and drive out
your goats." With that they went back to join Ulysses, and the four stood
together at the threshold,--four men against a host.

Then Athene came among them in the likeness of Mentor, and Ulysses knew
her and rejoiced. "Mentor," he shouted, "help me in my need, for we are
comrades from of old." And the wooers sent up another shout, "Do not
listen to him, Mentor; or your turn will come when he is slain." But
Athene taunted Ulysses and spurred him to the fight: "Have you lost your
strength and courage, Ulysses? It was not thus you did battle for H