better to be done, to die as valiantly as if he
himself had sprung from a dragon's tooth.

Medea, however, bade him snatch up a stone
from the ground.

"Throw it among them quickly!" cried she.
"It is the only way to save yourself."

The armed men were now so nigh that Jason
could discern the fire flashing out of their en-
raged eyes, wnen he let fly the stone, and saw
it strike the helmet of a tall warrior, who was
rushing upon him with his blade aloft. The
stone glanced from this man's helmet to the
shield of his nearest comrade, and thence flew
right into the angry face of another, hitting him
smartly between the eyes. Each of the three who
had been struck by the stone took it for granted
that his next neighbor had given him a blow;
and instead of running any farther towards
Jason, they began a fight among themselves.
The confusion spread through the host, so that
it seemed scarcely a moment before they were
all hacking, hewing, and stabbing at one another,
lopping off arms, heads, and legs, and doing such
memorable deeds that Jason was filled with im-
mense admiration; although, at the same time,

[[325]]

p324 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p325w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p326

v?