32 The Ancient Gods Pursuing

Athene, who appeared to him in visions,
and shook in his face the Gorgon’s head,
which turns to stone all living creatures who
look on it. But the holy Bishop made the
sign of the cross of the Lord, and the right
arm of their power was broken, and their
malice could not harm him.

The holy men traversed the mountains
by that Roman road which climbed up the
icy rocks and among the snowy peaks of the
Mountain of Jove, and at sundown they
came to that high temple of Jove which
had crowned the pass for many centuries.
The statue of the great father-god of Rome
had been hurled down the ravine into the
snow-drift, and his altar had been flung into
_the little wintry mere which shivers in the
pass, and his last priest had died of old age
a lifetime ago; and the temple was now but
a cold harbour for merchants and soldiers
and wandering men.

Here in the freezing air the apostles
rested from their journey, but in the dead
of the night Hilary was awakened by a
clamour of forlorn voices, and opening his
eyes he saw the mighty father-god of Olym-
pus looking down upon him with angry