away. Heracles would not go on board. "I will not leave this
island," he said, "until I find young Hylas or learn what has
happened to him."

Then Jason arose to give the command to depart. But before the
words were said Telamon stood up and faced him. "Jason," he said
angrily, "you do not bid Heracles come on board, and you would
have the Argo leave without him. You would leave Heracles here so
that he may not be with us on the quest where his glory might
overshadow your glory, Jason."

Jason said no word, but he sat back on his bench with head bowed.
And then, even as Telamon said these angry words, a strange
figure rose up out of the waves of the sea.

It was the figure of a man, wrinkled and old, with seaweed in his
beard and his hair. There was a majesty about him, and the
Argonauts all knew that this was one of the immortals--he was
Nereus, the ancient one of the sea.

"To Heracles, and to you, the rest of the Argonauts, I have a
thing to say," said the ancient one, Nereus. "Know, first, that
Hylas has been taken by the nymphs who love him and who think to
win his love, and that he will stay forever with them in their
cold and glimmering cave. For Hylas seek no more. And to you,
Heracles, I will say this: Go aboard the Argo again; the ship
will take you to where a great labor awaits you, and which, in
accomplishing, you will work out the will of Zeus. You will know
what this labor is when a spirit seizes on you." So the ancient
one of the sea said, and he sank back beneath the waves.