. The golden fleece and the heroes who lived before Achilles. another — the cluethat was to bring him back. Now Theseus, knowing he was in the very center of thelabyrinth, looked all around for sight of the Minotaur. Therewas no sight of the monster here. He went to all the doors andpushed at them, and some opened and some remained middle door opened. As it did Theseus felt around hima chilling draft of air. That chilling draft was from the breathing of the then saw the Minotaur. It lay on the ground, astrange, bull-faced thing. When the thought came to Theseus that he
. The golden fleece and the heroes who lived before Achilles. another — the cluethat was to bring him back. Now Theseus, knowing he was in the very center of thelabyrinth, looked all around for sight of the Minotaur. Therewas no sight of the monster here. He went to all the doors andpushed at them, and some opened and some remained middle door opened. As it did Theseus felt around hima chilling draft of air. That chilling draft was from the breathing of the then saw the Minotaur. It lay on the ground, astrange, bull-faced thing. When the thought came to Theseus that he would have tofight that monster alone and in that hidden and empty placeall delight left him; he grew like a stone; he groaned, and itseemed to him that he heard the voice of Ariadne calling himback. He could find his way back through the labyrinth andcome to her. He stepped back, and the door closed on theMinotaur, the dread monster of Crete. In an instant Theseus pushed the door again. He stoodwithin the hall where the Minotaur was, and the heavy door. THE HEROES OF THE QUEST 215 shut behind him. He looked again on that dark, bull-facedthing. It reared up as a horse rears and Theseus saw that itwould crash down on him and tear him with its dragon a great bound he went far away from where the monstercrashed down. Then Theseus faced it: he saw its thick lipsand its slobbering mouth; he saw that its skin was thick andhard. He drew near the monster, his sword in his hand. He struckat its eyes, and his sword made a great dint. But no bloodcame, for the Minotaur was a bloodless monster. From its mouthand nostrils came a draft that covered him with a chilling slime. Then it rushed upon him and overthrew him, and Theseusfelt its terrible weight upon him. But he thrust his swordupward, and it reared up again, screaming with pain. Theseusdrew himself away, and then he saw it searching around andaround, and he knew he had made it sightless. Then it facedhim; all the more f
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcolumpad, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookyear1921
