There was a good dinner on the spit ; and no doubt there will be as good a one to-day . '' `` But , '' continued the wise Ulysses , `` you must remember , my good friends , our misadventure in the cavern of one-eyed Polyphemus , the Cyclops ! Instead of his ordinary milk diet , did he not eat up two of our comrades for his supper , and a couple more for breakfast , and two at his supper again ? Methinks I see him yet , the hideous monster , scanning us with that great red eye , in the middle of his forehead , to single out the fattest . And then , again , only a few days ago , did we not fall into the hands of the king of the Laestrygons , and those other horrible giants , his subjects , who devoured a great many more of us than are now left ? To tell you the truth , if we go to yonder palace , there can be no question that we shall make our appearance at the dinner table ; but whether seated as guests , or served up as food , is a point to be seriously considered . '' `` Either way , '' murmured some of the hungriest of the crew ; `` it will be better than starvation ; particularly if one could be sure of being well fattened beforehand , and daintily cooked afterwards . '' `` That is a matter of taste , '' said King Ulysses , `` and , for my own part , neither the most careful fattening nor the daintiest of cookery would reconcile me to being dished at last . My proposal is , therefore , that we divide ourselves into two equal parties , and ascertain , by drawing lots , which of the two shall go to the palace , and beg for food and assistance . If these can be obtained , all is well . If not , and if the inhabitants prove as inhospitable as Polyphemus , or the Laestrygons , then there will but half of us perish , and the remainder may set sail and escape . '' As nobody objected to this scheme , Ulysses proceeded to count the whole band , and found that there were forty-six men , including himself . He then numbered off twenty-two of them , and put Eurylochus -LRB- who was one of his chief officers , and second only to himself in sagacity -RRB- at their head . Ulysses took command of the remaining twenty-two men , in person . Then , taking off his helmet , he put two shells into it , on one of which was written , `` Go , '' and on the other `` Stay . '' Another person now held the helmet , while Ulysses and Eurylochus drew out each a shell ; and the word `` Go '' was found written on that which Eurylochus had drawn . In this manner , it was decided that Ulysses and his twenty-two men were to remain at the seaside until the other party should have found out what sort of treatment they might expect at the mysterious palace . As there was no help for it , Eurylochus immediately set forth at the head of his twenty-two followers , who went off in a very melancholy state of mind , leaving their friends in hardly better spirits than themselves . No sooner had they clambered up the cliff , than they discerned the tall marble towers of the palace , ascending , as white as snow , out of the lovely green shadow of the trees which surrounded it . A gush of smoke came from a chimney in the rear of the edifice .
This vapor rose high XXXXX the air , and , meeting with a breeze , was wafted seaward , and made to pass over the heads of the hungry mariners .
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