the sand in two lines; nor were they alike to behold in form or in
stature. The one seemed to be a monstrous son of baleful Typhoeus or of
Earth herself, such as she brought forth aforetime, in her wrath against
Zeus; but the other, the son of Tyndareus, was like a star of heaven,
whose beams are fairest as it shines through the nightly sky at
eventide. Such was the son of Zeus, the bloom of the first down still on
his cheeks, still with the look of gladness in his eyes. But his might
and fury waxed like a wild beast's; and he poised his hands to see if
they were pliant as before and were not altogether numbed by toil and
rowing. But Amycus on his side made no trial; but standing apart in
silence he kept his eyes upon his foe, and his spirit surged within him
all eager to dash the life-blood from his breast. And between them
Lycoreus, the henchman of Amycus, placed at their feet on each side two
pairs of gauntlets made of raw hide, dry, exceeding tough. And the king
addressed the hero with arrogant words:

"Whichever of these thou wilt, without casting lots, I grant thee
freely, that thou mayst not blame me hereafter. Bind them about thy
hands; thou shalt learn and tell another how skilled I am to carve the
dry oxhides and to spatter men's cheeks with blood."

Thus he spake; but the other gave back no taunt in answer, but with a
light smile readily took up the gauntlets that lay at his feet; and to
him came Castor and mighty Talaus, son of Bias, and they quickly bound
the gauntlets about his hands, often bidding him be of good courage. And
to Amycus came Aretus and Ornytus, but little they knew, poor fools,
that they had bound them for the last time on their champion, a victim
of evil fate.

Now when they stood apart and were ready with their gauntlets,