Lives of Alcyone

the war with varying success, and at one time had an exceedingly
narrow escape of losing his life by treachery. There was at his court
a certain old woman, Thetis, who pretended great loyalty to his
cause, but was in reality on the side of his half-brother, on whose
behalf the Toltec Emperor was waging war. She contrived in some
underhand way to learn something of the King’ s plans, and
especially of a certain small expedition which he was about to lead
in order to obtain important information as to the disposition of the
Toltec armies. This woman was able to betray this little expedition
to the Toltecs, in order that they might arrange an ambuscade, and
so, as she thought, make sure of the death of the King.
Her nefarious project was defeated only by a dream or
inspiration which came to the hermit-father, in consequence of which
he left his cave, and met his son the King while on his way with his
expedition, and demanded to be allowed to lead thee party himself.
His son expostulated, saying that it was madness for his father at his
age to expose himself to such risks. Ursa however insisted, and
Sirius was at last compelled to yield. The old royal hermit therefore
led the expedition, and contrived to obtain the necessary information
and send back a messenger with it before he fell into the
ambuscade which had been prepared for his son, and was killed. In
this way the life of Sirius was saved, but he mourned greatly for the
death of his father, all the more since Mercury by some intuition was
able to tell him that his father had, through his dream, known of the
danger, and had therefore voluntarily resigned his own life in order
to deliver his son.
This event produced a profound impression upon both Sirius
and Alcyone, and the former went to consult Mercury as to what line
13