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Thus he spake and led the way, and they went with him.
So they brought all and stowed it in the decked ship, according to the
word of the dear son of Odysseus. Then Telemachus climbed the ship, and
Athene went before him, and behold, she sat her down in the stern, and
near her sat Telemachus. And the men loosed the hawsers and climbed on
board themselves and sat down upon the benches. And grey-eyed Athene
sent them a favourable gale, a fresh West Wind, singing over the
wine-dark sea.
And Telemachus called unto his company and bade them lay hands on the
tackling, and they hearkened to his call. So they raised the mast of
pine tree and set it in the hole of the cross plank, and made it fast
with forestays, and hauled up the white sails with twisted ropes of
oxhide. And the wind filled the belly of the sail, and the dark wave
seethed loudly round the stem of the running ship, and she fleeted over
the wave, accomplishing her path. Then they made all fast in the swift
black ship, and set mixing bowls brimmed with wine, and poured drink
offering to the deathless gods that are from everlasting, and in chief
to the grey eyed daughter of Zeus. So all night long and through the
dawn the ship cleft her way.
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