Just as he spoke, they heard a rough and very
disagreeable roar, which greatly resembled the
lowing of a fierce bull, but yet had some sort of
sound like the human voice. Theseus even fan-
cied a rude articulation in it, as if the creature that
uttered it were trying to shape his hoarse breath
into words. It was at some distance, however,
and he really could not tell whether it sounded
most like a bull's roar or a man's harsh voice.

"That is the Minotaur's' noise," whispered
Ariadne, closely grasping the hand of Theseus,
and pressing one of her own hands to her heart,
which was all in a tremble. "You must follow
that sound through the windings of the labyrinth,
and, by and by, you will find him. Stay! take
the end of this silken string; I will hold the other
end; and then, if you win the victory, it will
lead you again to this spot. Farewell, brave
Theseus."

So the young man took the end of the silken
string in his left hand, and his gold-hilted sword,
ready drawn from its scabbard, in the other, and
trod boldly into the inscrutable labyrinth. How
this labyrinth was built is more 'than I can tell
you. But so cunningly contrived a mizmaze

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p057 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p058w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p059

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