owns and arm rings of gold
and richly-colored garments and brazen chests in which to store the
treasure that he gave. And to Jason he gave an ivory-hilted and
golden-cased sword, and on each of the voyagers he bestowed a rich
gift, not forgetting the heroes who had remained on the Argo, Heracles
and Tiphys.

They went back to the great hall, and a feast was spread for the king
and for the Argonauts. They ate from rich dishes and they drank from
flowing wine cups. Phineus ate and drank as the heroes did, and no
dread shapes came before him to snatch from him nor to buffet him. But
as Jason looked upon the man who had striven to equal the gods in
wisdom, and noted his blinded eyes and shrunken face, he resolved never
to harbor in his heart such presumption as Phineus had harbored.

When the feast was finished the king spoke to Jason, telling him how
the Argo might be guided through the Symplegades, the dread passage
into the Sea of Pontus. He told them to bring their ship near to the
Clashing Rocks. And one who had the keenest sight amongst them was to
stand at the prow of the ship holding a pigeon in his hands. As the
rocks came together he was to loose the pigeon. If it found a space to
fly through they would know that the Argo could make the passage, and
they were to steer straight toward where the pigeon had flown. But if
it fluttered down to the sea, or flew back to them, or became lost in
the clouds of spray, they were to know that the Argo might not make
that passage. Then the heroes would have to take their ship overland to
where they might reach the Sea of Pontus.

That day they bade farewell to Phineus, and with the treasures he had
bestowed upon them they went down to the Argo. To Heracles and Tiphys
they gave the presents that the king had sent them. In the morning they
drew the Argo out of the harbor of Salmydessus, and set sail again.

But not until long afterward did they come to the Symplegades, the
passage that was to be their great trial. For they landed first in a
country that was full of woods, where they were welcomed by a king who
had heard of the voyagers and of their quest. There they stayed and
hunted for many days in the woods. And there a great loss befell the
Argonauts, for Tiphys, as he went through the woods, was bitten by a
snake and died. He who had braved so many seas and so many storms lost
his life away from the ship. The Argonauts made a tomb for him on the
shore of that land--a gre