him.
But Jupiter did not wish that his sons should shed blood, and sent his
lightning bolt to separate the two.

Then Hercules continued his way through Illyria, hastened over the river
Eridanus, and came to the nymphs of Jupiter and Themis, who dwelt on the
banks of the stream. To these Hercules put his question.

"Go to the old river god Nereus," was their answer. "He is a seer and
knows all things. Surprise him while he sleeps and bind him; then he
will be forced to tell you the right way."

Hercules followed this advice and became master of the river god,
although the latter, according to his custom, assumed many different
forms. Hercules would not let him go until he had learned in what
locality he could find the golden apples of the Hesperides.

Informed of this, he went on his way toward Libya and Egypt. Over the
latter land ruled Busiris, the son of Neptune and Lysianassa. To him
during the period of a nine-year famine a prophet had borne the oracular
message that the land would again bear fruit if a stranger were
sacrificed once a year to Jupiter. In gratitude Busiris made a beginning
with the priest himself. Later he found great pleasure in the custom and
killed all strangers who came to Egypt. So Hercules was seized and
placed on the altar of Jupiter. But he broke the chains which bound him,
and killed Busiris and his son and the priestly herald.

With many adventures the hero continued his way, set free, as has been
told elsewhere, Prometheus, the Titan, who was bound to the Caucasus
Mountains, and came at last to the place where Atlas stood carrying the
weight of the heavens on his shoulders. Near him grew the tree which
bore the golden apples of the Hesperides.

Prometheus had advised the hero not to attempt himself to make the
robbery of the golden fruit, but to send Atlas on the errand. The giant
offered to do this if Hercules would support the heavens while he went.
This Hercules consented to do, and Atlas set out. He put to sleep the
dragon who lived beneath the tree and killed him. Then with a trick he
got the better of the keepers, and returned happily to Hercules with the
three apples which he had plucked.

"But," he said, "I have now found out how it feels to be relieved of
the heavy burden of the heavens. I will not carry them any longer." Then
he threw the apples down at the feet of the hero, and left him standing
with the unaccustomed, awful weight upon his shoulders.

Hercules had to t