base of the gate fell down and the brazen doors flew wide,
and Medeia and the heroes ran forward, and hurried through the poison
wood, guided by the gleam of the Golden Fleece, until they saw it
hanging on one vast tree in the midst.

Jason would have sprung to seize it, but Medeia held him back and
pointed to the tree-foot, where a mighty serpent lay, coiled in and
out among the roots.

When the serpent saw them coming, he lifted up his head and watched
them with his small bright eyes, and flashed his forked tongue.

But Medeia called gently to him, and he stretched out his long spotted
neck, and licked her hand. Then she made a sign to Orpheus, and he
began his magic song.

And as he sung, the forest grew calm, and the leaves on every tree
hung still, and the serpent's head sank down and his coils grew limp,
and his glittering eyes closed lazily, till he breathed as gently as a
child.

Jason leapt forward warily and stept across that mighty snake, and
tore the fleece from off the tree-trunk. Then the witch-maiden with
Jason and Orpheus turned and rushed down to the bank where the Argo
lay.

There was silence for a moment, when Jason held the Golden Fleece on
high. Then he cried, "Go now, good Argo, swift and steady, if ever you
would see Pelion more."

And she went, as the heroes drove her, grim and silent all, with
muffled oars. On and on, beneath the dewy darkness, they fled swiftly
down the swirling stream, on and on till they heard the merry music of
the surge.

Into the surge they rushed, and the Argo leapt the breakers like a
horse, till the heroes stopped, all panting, each man upon his oar, as
she slid into the broad sea.

Then Orpheus took his harp and sang a song of praise, till the heroes'
hearts rose high again, and they rowed on, stoutly and steadfastly,
away into the darkness of the West.

V

HOW THE ARGONAUTS REACHED HOME

So the heroes fled away in haste, but Aietes manned his fleet and
followed them.

Then Medeia, the dark witch-maiden, laid a cruel plot, for she killed
her young brother who had come with her, and cast him into the sea,
and said, "Ere my father can take up his body and bury it, he must
wait long and be left far behind."

And all the heroes shuddered, and looked one at the other in shame.
When Aietes came to the place he stopped a long while and bewailed his
son, and took him up and went home.

So the heroes escaped for a time, but Zeus saw that evil deed