As he passed onward, the clouds gathered
over the moon, and the labyrinth grew so dusky
that Theseus could no longer discern the bewil-
derment through which he was passing. He
would have felt quite lost, and utterly hopeless
of ever again walking in a straight path, if,
every little while, he had not been conscious of
a gentle twitch at the silken cord. Then he
knew that the tender-hearted Ariadne was still
holding the other end, and that she was fearing
for him, and hoping for him, and giving him
just as much of her sympathy as if she were
close by his side. O, indeed, I can assure you,
there was a vast deal of human sympathy run-
ning along that slender thread of silk. But still
he followed the dreadful roar of the Minotaur,
which now grew louder and louder, and finally
so very loud that Theseus fully expected to
come close upon him, at every new zigzag and
wriggle of the path. And at last, in an open
space, at the very centre of the labyrinth, he did
discern the hideous creature.

Sure enough, what an ugly monster it was!
On.y his horned head belonged to a bull; and.
yet, somehow or other, he looked like a bull

[[60]]

p059 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p060w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p061

v?