So he spoke, and thereat yet greater trembling seized the other's limbs, and they led him into the ring and both men put up their hands.Then the much-enduring, goodly Odysseus was divided in mind whether he should strike him so that life should leave him even there as he fell, or whether he should deal him a light blow and stretch him on the earth. And, as he pondered, this seemed to him the better course, to deal him a light blow, that the Achaeans might not take note of him.Then verily, when they had put up their hands, Irus let drive at the right shoulder, but Odysseus smote him on the neck beneath the ear and crushed in the bones, and straightway the red blood ran forth from his mouth, and down he fell in the dust with a moan, and he gnashed his teeth, kicking the ground with his feet. But the lordly wooersraised their hands, and were like to die with laughter. Then Odysseus seized him by the foot, and dragged him forth through the doorway until he came to the court and the gates of the portico. And he set him down and leaned him against the wall of the court, and thrust his staff into his hand and spoke, and addressed him with winged words: “Sit there now, and scare off swine and dogs, and do not thou be lord of strangers and beggars, miserable that thou art, lest haply thou meet with some worse thing to profit withal.” He spoke, and flung about his shoulders his miserable wallet, full of holes, and slung by a twisted cord.Then back to the threshold he went and sat down; and the wooers went within, laughing merrily, and they greeted him, saying: “May Zeus grant thee, stranger, and the other immortal gods what thou desirest most, and the dearest wish of thy heart, seeing that thou hast made this insatiate fellow to cease from beggingin the land. For soon shall we take him to the mainland to King Echetus, the maimer of all men.” So they spoke, and goodly Odysseus was glad at the word of omen. And Antinous set before him the great paunch, filled with fat and blood, and Amphinomustook up two loaves from the basket and set them before him, and pledged him in a cup of gold, and said: “Hail, Sir stranger; may happy fortune be thine in time to come, though now thou art the thrall of many sorrows.”
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