and heaved him across
and up, and threw him on the ground. He lighted in such a way that his
neck broke, and there he lay dead.

'Was it fairly done?' said Theseus.

'It was fairly done!' cried the Highlanders of Arcadia; and then they
raised such a wail for the dead that Theseus deemed it wise to put on
his clothes and walk out of the court; and, leaping into a chariot that
stood empty by the gate, for the servant in the chariot feared the club
of iron, he drove away at full speed.

Though Cercyon was a cruel man and a wild, Theseus was sorry for him in
his heart.

The groom in the chariot tried to leap out, but Theseus gripped him
tight. 'Do not hurry, my friend,' said Theseus, 'for I have need of you.
I am not stealing the chariot and horses, and you shall drive them back
after we reach Athens.'

'But, my lord,' said the groom, 'you will never reach Athens.'

'Why not?' asked Theseus.

'Because of the man Procrustes, who dwells in a strong castle among the
hills on the way. He is the maimer of all mortals, and has at his
command a company of archers and spearmen, pirates from the islands. He
meets every traveller, and speaks to him courteously, praying him to be
his guest, and if any refuses the archers leap out of ambush and seize
and bind him. With them no one man can contend. He has a bed which he
says is a thing magical, for it is of the same length as the tallest or
the shortest man who sleeps in it, so that all are fitted. Now the
manner of it is this--there is an engine with ropes at the head of the
bed, and a saw is fitted at the bed foot. If a man is too short, the
ropes are fastened to his hands, and are strained till he is drawn to
the full length of the bed. If he is too long the saw shortens him. Such
a monster is Procrustes.

'Verily, my lord, King Cercyon was to-morrow to lead an army against
him, and the King had a new device, as you may see, by which two great
shields are slung along the side of this chariot, to ward off the arrows
of the men of Procrustes.'

'Then you and I will wear the shields when we come near the place where
Procrustes meets travellers by the way, and I think that to-night his
own bed will be too long for him,' said Theseus.

To this the groom made no answer, but his body trembled.

Theseus drove swiftly on till the road began to climb the lowest spur of
Mount Parnes, and then he drew rein, and put on one of the great shields
that covered all his body and legs, an