and slid into the
water. His long sharp black head showed above the stream as he swam, and
the water behind him showed like the water in the wake of a ship.

'Be still and hide your eyes!' whispered Perseus to the maiden.

He took the goat-skin from his wallet, and held up the Gorgon's head,
with the back of it turned towards him, and he waited till the long
black head was lifted from the river's edge, and the forefeet of that
fish were on the wet ledge of rock. Then he held the head before the
eyes of the monster, and from the head downward it slowly stiffened.
The head and forefeet and shoulders were of stone before the tail had
ceased to lash the water. Then the tail stiffened into a long jagged
sharp stone, and Perseus, wrapping up the head in the goat-skin, placed
it in his wallet. He turned his back to Andromeda, while he did this
lest by mischance her eyes should open and see the head of the Gorgon.
But her eyes were closed, and Perseus found that she had fainted, from
fear of the monster, and from the great heat of the sun. Perseus put the
palms of his hands together like a cup, and stooping to the stream he
brought water, and threw it over the face and neck of Andromeda,
wondering at her beauty. Her eyes opened at last, and she tried to rise
to her feet, but she dropped on her knees, and clung with her fingers to
the rock. Seeing her so faint and weak Perseus raised her in his arms,
with her beautiful head pillowed on his shoulder, where she fell asleep
like a tired child. Then he rose in the air and floated over the sheer
wall of red stone above the river, and flew slowly towards the town.

There were no sentinels at the gate; the long street was empty, for all
the people were in their houses, praying and weeping. But a little girl
stole out of a house near the gate. She was too young to understand why
her father and mother and elder brothers were so sad, and would not take
any notice of her. She thought she would go out and play in the street,
and when she looked up from her play, she saw Perseus bearing the king's
daughter in his arms. The child stared, and then ran into her house,
crying aloud, for she could hardly speak, and pulled so hard at her
mother's gown that her mother rose and followed her to the house door.
The mother gave a joyful cry, her husband and her children ran forth,
and they, too, shouted aloud for pleasure. Their cries reached the
ears of people in other houses, and presently all the