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he would give me the horses of the noble son of Peleus and his bronze-­‐bedizened
chariot; he bade me go through the darkness of the flying night, get
close to the enemy, and find out whether the ships are still guarded
as heretofore, or whether, now that we have beaten them, the Achaeans
design to fly, and through sheer exhaustion are neglecting to keep
their watches."
Ulysses smiled at him and answered, "You had indeed set your heart
upon a great reward, but the horses of the descendant of Aeacus are
hardly to be kept in hand or driven by any other mortal man than Achilles
himself, whose mother was an immortal. But tell me, and tell me true,
where did you leave Hector when you started? Where lies his armour
and his horses? How, too, are the watches and sleeping-­‐ground of the
Trojans ordered? What are their plans? Will they stay here by the
ships and away from the city, or now that they have worsted the Achaeans,
will they retire within their walls?"
And Dolon answered, "I will tell you truly all. Hector and the other
councillors are now holding conference by the monument of great Ilus,
away from the general tumult; as for the guards about which you ask
me, there is no chosen watch to keep guard over the host. The Trojans
have their watchfires, for they are bound to have them; they, therefore,
are awake and keep each other to their duty as sentinels; but the
allies who have come from other places are asleep and leave it to
the Trojans to keep guard, for their wives and children are not here."
Ulysses then said, "Now tell me; are they sleeping among the Trojan
troops, or do they lie apart? Explain this that I may understand it."