killed also the
giant herdsman who came to the help of the dog. Then he hurried away
with the cattle.

But Geryone overtook him and there was a fierce struggle. Juno herself
offered to assist the giant; but Hercules shot her with an arrow deep in
the heart, and the goddess, wounded, fled. Even the threefold body of
the giant which ran together in the region of the stomach, felt the
might of the deadly arrows and was forced to yield.

With glorious adventures Hercules continued his way home, driving the
cattle across country through Iberia and Italy. At Rhegium in lower
Italy one of his oxen got away and swam across the strait to Sicily.
Immediately Hercules drove the other cattle into the water and swam,
holding one by the horns, to Sicily. Then the hero pursued his way
without misfortune through Italy, Illyria and Thrace to Greece.

Hercules had now accomplished ten labors; but Eurystheus was still
unsatisfied and there were two more tasks to be undertaken.

THE ELEVENTH LABOR

At the celebration of the marriage of Jupiter and Juno, when all the
gods were bringing their wedding gifts to the happy pair, Mother Earth
did not wish to be left out. So she caused to spring forth on the
western borders of the great world-sea a many-branched tree full of
golden apples. Four maidens called the Hesperides, daughters of Night,
were the guardians of this sacred garden, and with them watched the
hundred-headed dragon, Ladon, whose father was Phorkys, the parent of
many monsters. Sleep came never to the eyes of this dragon and a fearful
hissing sound warned one of his presence, for each of his hundred
throats had a different voice. From this monster, so was the command of
Eurystheus, should Hercules seize the golden apples.

The hero set out on his long and adventurous journey and placed himself
in the hands of blind chance, for he did not know where the Hesperides
dwelt.

He went first to Thessaly, where dwelt the giant Termerus, who with his
skull knocked to death every traveler that he met; but on the mighty
cranium of Hercules the head of the giant himself was split open.

Farther on the hero came upon another monster in his way, Cycnus, the son
of Mars and Pyrene. He, when asked concerning the garden of the
Hesperides, instead of answering, challenged the wanderer to a duel, and
was beaten by Hercules. Then appeared Mars, the god of war, himself, to
avenge the death of his son; and Hercules was forced to fight with