terribly, even then I came nigh, and drew it from the coals, and my fellows gathered about me, and some god breathed great courage into us.  For their part they seized the bar of olive wood, that was sharpened at the point, and thrust it into his eye, while I from my place aloft turned it about, as when a man bores a ship’s beam with a drill while his fellows below spin it with a strap, which they hold at either end, and the auger runs round continually.  Even so did we seize the fiery-pointed brand and whirled it round in his eye, and the blood flowed about the heated bar.  And the breath of the flame singed his eyelids and brows all about, as the ball of the eye burnt away, and the roots thereof crackled in the flame.  And as when a smith dips an axe or adze in chill water with a great hissing, when he would temper it—­for hereby anon comes the strength of iron—­even so did his eye hiss round the stake of olive.  And he raised a great and terrible cry, that the rock rang around, and we fled away in fear, while he plucked forth from his eye the brand bedabbled in much blood.  Then maddened with pain he cast it from him with his hands, and called with a loud voice on the Cyclopes, who dwelt about him in the caves along the windy heights.  And they heard the cry and flocked together from every side, and gathering round the cave asked him what ailed him: 

’"What hath so distressed thee, Polyphemus, that thou criest thus aloud through the immortal night, and makest us sleepless?  Surely no mortal driveth off thy flocks against thy will:  surely none slayeth thyself by force or craft?”

’And the strong Polyphemus spake to them again from out the cave:  “My friends, Noman is slaying me by guile, nor at all by force.”

’And they answered and spake winged words:  “If then no man is violently handling thee in thy solitude, it can in no wise be that thou shouldest escape the sickness sent by mighty Zeus.  Nay, pray thou to thy father, the lord Poseidon.”

’On this wise they spake and departed; and my heart within me laughed to see how my name and cunning counsel had beguiled them.  But the Cyclops, groaning and travailing in pain, groped with his hands, and lifted away the stone from the door of the cave, and himself sat in the entry, with arms outstretched to catch, if he might, any one that was going forth with his sheep, so witless, methinks, did he hope to find me.  But I advised me how all might be for the very best, if perchance I might find a way of escape from death for my companions and myself, and I wove all manner of craft and counsel, as a man will for his life, seeing that great mischief was nigh.  And this was the counsel that showed best in my sight.  The rams of the flock were well nurtured and thick of fleece, great and goodly, with wool dark as the violet.  Quietly I lashed them together with twisted withies, whereon the Cyclops slept, that lawless monster.  Three together I took:  now the middle one of the