oot and sell us over into
some distant island. He tried, moreover, to cut off the ears of both of
us, so we went away in a rage, furious about the payment he had
promised us, and yet withheld; in spite of all this, you are now
showing favour to his people, and will not join us in compassing the
utter ruin of the proud Trojans with their wives and children."

And King Apollo answered, "Lord of the earthquake, you would have no
respect for me if I were to fight you about a pack of miserable
mortals, who come out like leaves in summer and eat the fruit of the
field, and presently fall lifeless to the ground. Let us stay this
fighting at once and let them settle it among themselves."

He turned away as he spoke, for he would lay no hand on the brother of
his own father. But his sister the huntress Diana, patroness of wild
beasts, was very angry with him and said, "So you would fly,
Far-Darter, and hand victory over to Neptune with a cheap vaunt to
boot. Baby, why keep your bow thus idle? Never let me again hear you
bragging in my father's house, as you have often done in the presence
of the immortals, that you would stand up and fight with Neptune."

Apollo made her no answer, but Jove's august queen was angry and
upbraided her bitterly. "Bold vixen," she cried, "how dare you cross me
thus? For all your bow you will find it hard to hold your own against
me. Jove made you as a lion among women, and lets you kill them
whenever you choose. You will find it better to chase wild beasts and
deer upon the mountains than to fight those who are stronger than you
are. If you would try war, do so, and find out by pitting yourself
against me, how far stronger I am than you are."

She caught both Diana's wrists with her left hand as she spoke, and
with her right she took the bow from her shoulders, and laughed as she
beat her with it about the ears while Diana wriggled and writhed under
her blows. Her swift arrows were shed upon the ground, and she fled
weeping from under Juno's hand as a dove that flies before a falcon to
the cleft of some hollow rock, when it is her good fortune to escape.
Even so did she fly weeping away, leaving her bow and arrows behind her.

Then the slayer of Argus, guide and guardian, said to Leto, "Leto, I
shall not fight you; it is ill to come to blows with any of Jove's
wives. Therefore boast as you will among the immortals that you worsted
me in fair fight."

Leto then gathered up Diana's bow and arrow