h shouts of hilarity.

"They do indeed despise us," said Darius, "since, on the eve of a
battle, they can lose all thoughts of us and of their danger, and
abandon their posts to hunt a hare!"

That evening a council of war was held. It was concluded that the
Scythians must be very confident and strong in their position, and
that, if a general battle were to be hazarded, it would be very
doubtful what would be the result. The Persians concluded unanimously,
therefore, that the wisest plan would be for them to give up the
intended conquest, and retire from the country. Darius accordingly
proceeded to make his preparations for a secret retreat.

He separated all the infirm and feeble portion of the army from the
rest, and informed them that he was going that night on a short
expedition with the main body of the troops, and that, while he was
gone, they were to remain and defend the camp. He ordered the men to
build the camp fires, and to make them larger and more numerous than
common, and then had the asses tied together in an unusual situation,
so that they should keep up a continual braying. These sounds, heard
all the night, and the light of the camp fires, were to lead the
Scythians to believe that the whole body of the Persians remained, as
usual, at the encampment, and thus to prevent all suspicion of their
flight.

Toward midnight, Darius marched forth in silence and secrecy, with all
the vigorous and able-bodied forces under his command, leaving the
weary, the sick, and the infirm to the mercy of their enemies. The
long column succeeded in making good their retreat, without exciting
the suspicions of the Scythians. They took the route which they
supposed would conduct them most directly to the river.

When the troops which remained in the camp found, on the following
morning, that they had been deceived and abandoned, they made signals
to the Scythians to come to them, and, when they came, the invalids
surrendered themselves and the camp to their possession. The Scythians
then, immediately, leaving a proper guard to defend the camp, set out
to follow the Persian army. Instead, however, of keeping directly upon
their track, they took a shorter course, which would lead them more
speedily to the river. The Persians, being unacquainted with the
country, got involved in fens and morasses, and other difficulties of
the way, and their progress was thus so much impeded that the
Scythians reached the river before them