serve how the earth, out of which they had so
lately grown, was incrusted, here and there, on
their bright breastplates, and even begrimed their
faces; just as you may have seen it clinging to
beets and carrots, when pulled out of their native
soil. Cadmus hardly knew whether to consider
them as men, or some odd kind of vegetable;
although, on the whole, he concluded that there
was human nature in them, because they were
so fond of trumpets and weapons, and so ready
to shed blood.

They looked him earnestly in the face, wait-
ing for his next order, and evidently desiring no
other employment than to follow him from one
battle field to another, all over the wide world.
But Cadmus was wiser than these earth-born
creatures, with the dragon's fierceness in them,
and knew better how to use their strength and
hardihood.

"Come!" said he. "You are sturdy fellows.
Make yourselves useful! Quarry some stones
with those great swords of yours, and help me
to build a city."

The five soldiers grumbled a little, and mut-
tered that it was their business to overthrow

[[155]]

p154 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p155w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p156

v?