hands until the wave dashed by. Its backward drag took him and carried
him back to the deep with the skin stripped from his hands. The waves
closed over him. When he rose again he swam round looking for a place
where there might be, not rocks, but some easy opening into the land.

At last he saw the mouth of a river. He swam towards it until he felt
its stream flowing through the water of the sea. Then in his heart he
prayed to the river. 'Hear me, O River,' was what he said, 'I am come to
thee as a suppliant, fleeing from the anger of Poseidon, god of the sea.
Even by the gods is the man pitied who comes to them as a wanderer and
a hapless man. I am thy suppliant, O River; pity me and help me in my
need.'

Now the river water was smooth for his swimming, and he came safely to
its mouth. He came to a place where he might land, but with his flesh
swollen and streams of salt water gushing from his mouth and nostrils.
He lay on the ground without breath or speech, swooning with the
terrible weariness that was upon him. But in a while his breath came
back to him and his courage rose. He remembered the veil that the
Sea-nymph had given him and he loosened it and let it fall back into the
flowing river. A wave came and bore it back to Ino who caught it in her
hands.

But Odysseus was still fearful, and he said in his heart, 'Ah me! what
is to befall me now? Here am I, naked and forlorn, and I know not
amongst what people I am come. And what shall I do with myself when
night comes on? If I lie by the river in the frost and dew I may perish
of the cold. And if I climb up yonder to the woods and seek refuge in
the thickets I may become the prey of wild beasts.'