Amycus straightway put on his gauntlets and threw off his mantle;
he stood there amongst his followers with his great arms crossed,
glowering at the Argonauts as a wild beast might glower. And when
the two faced each other Amycus seemed like one of the Earthborn
Men, dark and hugely shaped, while Helen's brother stood there
light and beautiful. Polydeuces was like that star whose beams
are lovely at evening-tide.

Like the wave that breaks over a ship and gives the sailors no
respite Amycus came on at Polydeuces. He pushed in upon him,
thinking to bear him down and overwhelm him. But as the skillful
steersman keeps the ship from being overwhelmed by the monstrous
wave, so Polydeuces, all skill and lightness, baffled the rushes
of Amycus. At last Amycus, standing on the tips of his toes and
rising high above him, tried to bring down his great fist upon
the head of Polydeuces. The hero swung aside and took the blow on
his shoulder. Then he struck his blow. It was a strong one, and
under it the king of the Bebrycians staggered and fell down. "You
see," said Polydeuces, "that we keep your law."

The Argonauts shouted, but the rude Bebrycians raised their clubs
to rush upon them. Then would the heroes have been hard pressed,
and forced, perhaps, to get back to the Argo. But suddenly
Heracles appeared amongst them, coming up from the forest.

He carried a pine tree in his hands with all its branches still
upon it, and seeing this mighty-statured man appear with the
great tree in his hands, the Bebrycians hurried off, carrying
their fallen king with them. Then the Argonauts gathered around
Polydeuces, saluted him as their champion, and put a crown of