Eurystheus received the news of the destruction of the water snake with bad grace.  He claimed that Hercules had not destroyed the monster alone, but only with the assistance of Iolaus.  All the people, however, rejoiced greatly, and they hastened to drain the marsh where the hydra had dwelt so that never again could such an enemy abide upon their lands.

THE THIRD LABOUR—­CAPTURING THE ARCADIAN HIND

In the days in which Hercules lived, Arcadia was a beautiful country of cool, sweet-scented woods, clear mountain streams, and sloping meadow-sides from which rose every now and then the roof of a hunter’s cottage or a shepherd’s hutch.  It was a country also peculiarly pleasing to Artemis, the goddess of the chase, and peculiarly also it was the haunt of all animals especially dear to the goddess.

A hind was there of such loveliness and grace that Artemis had marked her for her own, and given her a pair of golden horns so that she might be known from all other deer and her life thus preserved.  For no good Hellen, or Greek, would slay for food any animal sacred to a god.  This beautiful golden-horned hind Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring to him alive, for the irreverence of the King did not go so far as to demand her dead.

So Hercules went forth for the hunting and, not wishing to wound the hind, pursued her for one entire year.  Up hill he went, down many a mountain dale, across many a gleaming river, through deep forest and open field, and always dancing before him were the golden tips of horns of the hind—­near enough to be seen, too far to be seized.  At last tired with the pursuit the lovely beast one day took refuge upon a mountain side, and there as she sought the water of a river, Hercules struck her with an arrow.  The wound was slight, but it helped the hero to catch the creature, and to lift her to his shoulders.  Thereupon, he started for the court of Eurystheus.

But the way was long, and it lay through a part of Arcadia where the bush was heavy, and forests were deep, and mountains were high, and while Hercules was pursuing his way and bearing his meek-eyed burden, he one day met the fair goddess to whom the hind was sacred.  Her brother, the beautiful god Apollo, was with her.

Artemis seeing her captured deer cried to the hero, “Mortal, oho! thus wilt thou violate a creature set aside by the gods?” “Mighty Artemis and huntress,” answered Hercules, “this hind I know is thine.  A twelve-month have I chased and at last caught her.  But the god Necessity forced me!  Oh, immortal one, I am not impious.  Eurystheus commanded me to catch the hind and the priestess of Apollo enjoined me to observe the King’s command.”

When Artemis understood how Hercules was bond-man she dismissed her anger, and sent him forward with kind words, and thus he brought the golden-horned hind to Mycenae and sent it in to the King.