Page:Sophocles (Storr 1919) v2.djvu/193

 Steered close and shaved the pillar with his nave,

Urging his offside trace-horse, while he checked

The nearer. For a while they all sped on

Unscathed, but soon the Aenian’s hard-mouthed steeds

Bolted, and ’twixt the sixth and seventh round

’Gainst the Barcaean chariot headlong dashed.

Then on that first mishap there followed close

Shock upon shock, crash upon crash, that strewed

With wrack of cars all the Crisaean plain.

This the shrewd charioteer of Athens marked,

Slackened and drew aside, letting go by

The surge of chariots running in mid course.

Last came Orestes who had curbed his team

(He trusted to the finish), but at sight

Of the Athenian, his one rival left,

With a shrill holloa in his horses’ ears

He followed; and the two abreast raced on,

Now one, and now the other a head in front.

Thus far Orestes, ill-starred youth, had steered

Steadfast at every lap his steadfast team,

But at the last, in turning, all too soon

He loosed the left-hand rein, and ere he knew it

The axle struck against the pillar’s edge.

The axle box was shattered, and himself

Hurled o’er the chariot rail, and in his fall

Caught in the reins’ grip he was dragged along,

While his scared team dashed wildly o’er the course.

But as the crowd beheld his overthrow,

There rose a wail of pity for the youth—

His doughty deeds and his disastrous end—

Now flung to earth, now bounding to the sky

Feet uppermost. At length the charioteers 181