ere upon him. He grasped his
cloak, wound it around his arm over his hand and thrust it into one
animal's mouth, and with one wrench dislocated its jaw. With the right
hand free, he met the third and plunged his dagger into its side until
it fell back goaded with pain, and in the throes of death sent forth
terrific wails, at which the doors of the Temple were thrown open. A
light streamed down the pathway, lighting up the fierce combat between
man and beasts. The priests uttered a peculiar call, and every hound was
immediately obedient; not one left its post, but drew up in a circle
around Chios, preventing any chance of escape. Torches flamed, and many
men came towards the place of conflict.

One of the priests stepped forward, and beheld the Greek covered with
blood, and still clutching his jewelled dagger.

The priest cried:

'What dost thou here on holy ground, surrounded by the hounds of the
goddess and the slain around thee? Knowest thou the penalty is death?
Surrender! or we let loose the hounds that they tear thee limb from
limb. Surrender! we say. Thou shalt have trial, that justice may be
done, and we may know whether or not thou camest hither by mischance.'

'I surrender. Not that I fear your hounds or death--I surrender because
I have no right here.'

'Art thou a stranger?'

'No.'

'Who art thou, then, besmeared with the blood of the consecrated
beasts?'

'I am Chios.'

'Chios!' shouted the priests. 'What doest thou here?'

'That is my business,' replied he.

'Arrest Chios the Greek!' cried the chief.

Chios put up his dagger into its sheath, and, surrounded by the
torch-bearing priests and the hounds following, he walked towards the
Temple of Hecate. They led him to the rear of the building, and opening
the door of a cell cut into the solid rock, they thrust him in, and the
hounds wailed and kept guard the long night through.

* * * * *

How long he slept he knew not. When he awoke, a ray of light pierced
through between the joints of the doorway, and he knew the day had come,
and probably his fate.

* * * * *

It was about the ninth hour, and by this time the priests and
priestesses of Diana's fane knew of the arrest of the Greek for
penetrating the mysterious grove of Hecate, and slaying the sacred
hounds.

What could this strange proceeding mean? All were horror-stricken. None
could solve the reason of his being there.