never had women for their mothers. And how it
would have rejoiced any great captain, who was
Dent on conquering the world, like Alexander or
Napoleon, to raise a crop of armed soldiers as
easily as Jason did!

For a while, the warriors stood flourishing
their weapons, clashing their swords against their
shields, and boiling over with the red-hot thirst
for battle. Then they began to shout "Show
us the enemy! Lead us to the charge! Death
or victory! Come on, brave comrades! Con-
quer or die!" and a hundred other outcries,
such as men always bellow forth on a battle field,
and which these dragon people seemed to have
at their tongues' ends. At last, the front rank
caught sight of Jason, who, beholding the flash
of so many weapons in the moonlight, had
thought it best to draw his sword. In a moment
all the sons of the dragon's teeth appeared to
take Jason for an enemy; and crying with one
voice, "Guard the Golden Fleece! 5! they ran at
him with uplifted swords and protruded spears
Jason knew that it would be impossible to with
stand this bloodthirsty battalion with his single
arm, but determined, since there was nothing

[[324]]

p323 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p324w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p325

v?