Page:The Story of the Iliad.djvu/193

Rh behind his shoulders, and turned his back, yet again and again he faced round upon the enemy. As when an ass turns into a field and eats the standing corn, and the children beat him with sticks, but their strength is feebleness, and the sticks are broken on his back, for he is slow to go, nor do they drive him out, though with much pains, till he has eaten his fill, thus did the men of Troy hang upon Ajax, and thrust at him with their lances. And now he would turn about and check them, and now he would draw back; but ever he kept them from the ships.

And when Eurypylus saw him thus beset he went and stood beside him, and smote a Trojan chief and slew him. But when he leapt upon the dead man and began to spoil him of his arms, then Paris drew his bow upon him, and pierced him with an arrow in the right thigh.

Then Eurypylus called aloud, "O friends, leaders of the Greeks, come, and keep the day of death from Ajax, for he is sore beset."

Then the Greeks stood close about him, and Ajax turned about and stood when he came to the ranks of his fellows.