What
should he do? how extricate the youth, or would it be better to
die with him.
Raising his eyes to the moon, which now shone clear, he said,
"Goddess! favor my effort!" and aiming his javelin at one of the
leaders of the troop, struck him in the back and stretched him on
the plain with a death-blow. In the midst of their amazement
another weapon flew and another of the party fell dead. Volscens,
the leader, ignorant whence the darts came, rushed sword in hand
upon Euryalus. "You shall pay the penalty of both," he said, and
would have plunged the sword into his bosom, when Nisus, who from
his concealment saw the peril of his friend, rushed forward
exclaiming, "'Twas I, 'twas I; turn your swords against me,
Rutulians, I did it; he only followed me as a friend." While he
spoke the sword fell, and pierced the comely bosom of Euryalus.
His head fell over on his shoulder, like a flower cut down by the
plough. Nisus rushed upon Volscens and plunged his sword into his
body, and was himself slain on the instant by numberless blows.
MEZENTIUS
Aeneas, with his Etrurian allies, arrived on the scene of action
in time to rescue his beleaguered camp; and now the two armies
being nearly equal in strength, the war began in good earnest. We
cannot find space for all the details, but must simply record the
fate of the principal characters whom we have introduced to our
readers.
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