27 Actaeon
When she was tired with hunting Artemis used to take abath in a little mountain spring. —
One hot summer afternoon she was playing in the cool,quiet water with hermaidens when she heard a rustle behind the bushes . —
She feltquite angry to find that a young hunter was peeping admiringlyat her naked body . —
Her maidens gave a sharp cry and crowded around the goddess. —
But young Actaeon had seen the huntress.
Actaeon loved the hunting.He had been searching the woods every day. —
On this particular afternoon he felt so tired with running about that he,by accident,came over to the springin search of water. —
He was thus surprised to find Artemisba thing.The angry goddess was not to be calmed. —
She splashed water in the hunter’s face.As soon as the water drops fell on Actaeon,he was changed into a stag . —
Just at that moment he heard the barking of his team of fifty hunting dogs. —
They were coming up to him.He was suddenly seized with fear ,and presently ran away. —
The dogs,all driven mad by the goddess,ran after him closely. —
Running as fast as his legs could carry him,Actaeon was soon out of breath . —
Feeling certain that he 1was to die,he dropped to the ground and made no further attempt to get up. —
The dogs came nearer to their former masterand tore him to pleces.