foolish punctilios, and assail their antagonist at
once.

Accordingly, all the fighting men of the na-
tion took their weapons, and went boldly up to
Hercules, who still lay fast asleep, little dreaming
of the harm which the Pygmies meant to do him.
A body of twenty thousand archers marched in
front, with their little bows all ready, and the
arrows on the string. The same number were
ordered to clamber upon Hercules, some with
spades, to dig his eyes out, and others with
bundles of hay, and all manner of rubbish, with
which they intended to plug up his mouth and
nostrils, so that he might perish for lack of
breath. These last, however, could by no means
perform their appointed duty; inasmuch as the
enemy's breath rushed out of his nose in an ob-
streperous hurricane and whirlwind, which blew
the Pygmies away as fast as they came nigh.
It was found necessary, therefore, to hit upon
some other method of carrying on the war.

After holding a council, the captains ordered
their troops to collect sticks, straws, dry weeds,
and whatever combustible stuff they could find,
and make a pile of it, heaping it high around

[[102]]

p101 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p102w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p103

v?