MorningbrokeintheEast。Anewdaydawneduponthesilentsea，andontheworldoflightandsound。Thesunrisetoppedthehillatlast，andfelluponthegoldenraimentoftheWandererwhereheslept，makingitblazelikelivingfire。Asthesuntouchedhim，theprowofablackshipstoleswiftlyroundtheheadland，fortheoarsmendroveherwellwiththeoars。AnymanwhosawherwouldhaveknownhertobeavesselofthemerchantsofSidon——themostcunningpeopleandthegreediestofgain——foronherprowweretwobig-headedshapesofdwarfs，withgapingmouthsandknottedlimbs。SuchgodsasthosewereworshippedbytheSidonians。ShewasnowreturningfromAlbion，anislebeyondthepillarsofHeraclesandthegatesofthegreatsea，wheremuchstoreoftinisfound；andshehadrichmerchandiseonboard。Onthehalf-deckbesidethesteersmanwasthecaptain，athin，keen-eyedsailor，wholookedshorewardandsawthesunblazeonthegoldenarmouroftheWanderer。Theyweresofaroffthathecouldnotseeclearlywhatitwasthatglitteredyellow，butallthatglitteredyellowwasalureforhim，andgolddrewhimonasirondrawsthehandsofheroes。Sohebadethehelmsmansteerstraightin，fortheseawasdeepbelowtherock，andtheretheyallsawamanlyingasleepingoldenarmour。Theywhisperedtogether，laughingsilently，andthensprangashore，takingwiththemaropeoftwistedox-hide，ahawseroftheship，andastrongcableofbyblus，thepapyrusplant。Ontheseropestheycastaloopandarunningknot，alassoforthrowing，sothattheymightcapturethemaninsafetyfromadistance。Withtheseintheirhandstheycreptupthecliff，fortheirpurposewastonoosethemaningoldenarmour，anddraghimonboardtheirvessel，andcarryhimtothemouthoftheriverofEgypt，andtheresellhimforaslavetotheKing。FortheSidonians，whoweregreedyofeverything，lovednothingbetterthantocatchfreemenandwomen，whomightbepurchased，bymereforceorguile，andthenbesoldagainforgoldandsilverandcattle。Manykings’sonshadthusbeencapturedbythem，andhadseenthedayofslaveryinBabylon，orTyre，orEgyptianThebes，andhaddiedsadly，farfromtheArgiveland。
SotheSidonianswentroundwarily，and，creepinginsilenceovertheshortgrassandthymetowardstheWanderer，weresoonasneartohimasachildcouldthrowastone。Likeshepherdswhoseektonetasleepinglion，theycamecunningly；yetnotsocunninglybutthattheWandererheardthemthroughhisdreams，andturnedandsatup，lookingaroundhimhalfawake。Butashewokethenoosefellabouthisneckandoverhisarmsandtheydrewithard，andthrewhimonhisback。
Beforetheycouldtouchhimhewasonhisfeetagain，cryinghiswar-
cryterribly，thecrythatshookthetowersofIlium，andherusheduponthem，clutchingathisswordhilt。Themenwhowerenearesthimandhadholdoftheropeletitfallfromtheirhandsandfled，buttheothersswungbehindhim，anddraggedwithalltheirforce。Ifhisarmshadbeenfreesothathemightdrawhissword，itwouldhavegoneillwiththem，manyastheywere，fortheSidonianshavenostomachforswordblades；buthisarmswereheldinthenoose。Yettheydidnoteasilymasterhim；but，asthosewhohadfledcameback，andtheyalllaidhandsontheropetogether，theyoverpoweredhimbymainforceatlast，andhauledhim，stepbystep，tillhestumbledonarockandfell。Thentheyrushedathim，andthrewthemselvesalluponhisbody，andboundhimwithropesincunningsailorknots。Butthebootywasdearlywon，andtheydidnotallreturnalive；forhecrushedonemanwithhiskneestillthebreathlefthim，andthethighofanotherhebrokewithablowofhisfoot。
Butatlasthisstrengthwasspent，andtheyhadhimlikeabirdinasnare；so，bymightandmain，theyborehimtotheirship，andthrewhimdownonthefore-deckofthevessel。Theretheymockedhim，thoughtheywerehalfafraid；forevennowhewasterrible。Thentheyhauledupthesailagainandsatdowntotheoars。ThewindblewfairforthemouthoftheNileandtheslave-marketofEgypt。Thewindwasfair，andtheirheartswerelight，fortheyhadbeenamongthefirstoftheirpeopletodealwiththewildtribesoftheislandAlbion，andhadbroughttinandgoldforAfricanseashellsandrudeglassbeadsfromEgypt。Andnow，neartheveryendoftheiradventure，theyhadcaughtamanwhosearmourandwhosebodywereworthaking’sransom。