he was in limb and
in the feats of the chase, when Ulysses left him to go to Troy, soon
wouldst thou marvel at the sight of his swiftness and his strength.
There was no beast that could flee from him in the deep places of the
wood when he was in pursuit; for even on a track he was the keenest
hound. But now he is holden in an evil case, and his lord hath perished
far from his own country, and the careless women take no charge of him.'

Therewith he passed within the fair-lying house, and went straight to
the hall, to the company of the proud wooers. But upon Argos came death
even in the hour that he beheld Ulysses again, in the twentieth year.

Thus the good dog knew Ulysses, though Penelope did not know him when
she saw him, and tears came into Ulysses' eyes as he stood above the
body of the hound that loved him well. Eumaeus went into the house, but
Ulysses sat down where it was the custom for beggars to sit, on the
wooden threshold outside the door of the hall. Telemachus saw him, from
his high seat under the pillars on each side of the fire, in the middle
of the room, and bade Eumaeus carry a loaf and a piece of pork to the
beggar, who laid them in his wallet between his feet, and ate. Then he
thought he would try if there were one courteous man among the wooers,
and he entered the hall and began to beg among them. Some gave him
crusts and bones, but Antinous caught up a footstool and struck him hard
on the shoulder. 'May death come upon Antinous before his wedding day!'
said Ulysses, and even the other wooers rebuked him for striking a
beggar.

Penelope heard of this, and told Eumaeus to bring the beggar to her; she
thought he might have news of her husband. But Ulysses made Eumaeus say
that he had been struck once in the hall, and would not come to her
till after sunset, when the wooers left the house. Then Eumaeus went to
his own farmhouse, after telling Telemachus that he would come next day,
driving swine for the wooers to eat.

Ulysses was the new beggar in Ithaca: he soon found that he had a rival,
an old familiar beggar, named Irus. This man came up to the palace, and
was angry when he saw a newcomer sitting in the doorway, 'Get up,' he
said, 'I ought to drag you away by the foot: begone before we quarrel!'
'There is room enough for both of us,' said Ulysses, 'do not anger me.'
Irus challenged him to fight, and the wooers thought this good sport,
and they made a ring, and promised that the winner should