They could see Hector and all his men, both those in the rear who were taking no part in the battle, and those who were fighting by the ships.
Ajax could not bring himself to retreat along with the rest, but strode from deck to deck with a great sea-pike in his hands twelve cubits long and jointed with rings.

As a man skilled in feats of horsemanship couples four horses together and comes tearing full speed along the public way from the country into some large town--many both men and women marvel as they see him for he keeps all the time changing his horse, springing from one to another without ever missing his feet while the horses are at a gallop--even so did Ajax go striding from one ship's deck to another, and his voice went up into the heavens.

He kept on shouting his orders to the Danaans and exhorting them to defend their ships and tents; neither did Hector remain within the main body of the Trojan warriors, but as a dun eagle swoops down upon a flock of wild-fowl feeding near a river--geese, it may be, or cranes, or long-necked swans--even so did Hector make straight for a dark-prowed ship, rushing right towards it; for Jove with his mighty hand impelled him forward, and roused his people to follow him.
And now the battle again raged furiously at the ships.

You would have thought the men were coming on fresh and unwearied, so fiercely did they fight; and this was the mind in which they were--the Achaeans did not believe they should escape destruction but thought themselves doomed, while there was not a Trojan but his heart beat high with the hope of firing the ships and putting the Achaean heroes to the sword.
Thus were the two sides minded.

Then Hector seized the stern of the good ship that had brought Protesilaus to Troy, but never bore him back to his native land.