He therefore let go Medea's hand, and walked
boldly forward in the direction whither she had
pointed. At some distance before him he per-
ceived four streams of fiery vapor, regularly ap-
pearing, and again vanishing, after dimly lighting
up the surrounding obscurity. These, you will
understand, were caused by the breath of the
brazen bulls, which was quietly stealing out of
their four nostrils, as they lay chewing their
cuds.

At the first two or three steps which Jason
made, the four fiery streams appeared to gush
out somewhat more plentifully; for the two
brazen bulls had heard his foot tramp, and were
lifting up their hot noses to snuff the air. He
went a little farther, and by the way in which
the red vapor now spouted forth, he judged that
the creatures had got upon their feet. Now he
could see glowing sparks, and vivid jets of flame.
At the next step, each of the bulls made the
pasture echo with a terrible roar, while the burn-
ing breath, which they thus belched forth, lit up
the whole field with a momentary flash. One
other stride did bold Jason make; and, sudden
ly, as a streak of lightning, on came these fiery

[[319]]

p318 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p319w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p320

v?