together and arrange matters for him." [21]
As a rule the officers so summoned did not loiter, but dashed up at
full speed, glad to enhance the authority of Cyrus and to show their
own allegiance. But there was a certain Daipharnes, a person of somewhat
boorish manners, who fancied that he would make a show of greater
independence if he did not hurry himself. [22] Cyrus noted this, and
quietly, before the man could reach him, sent another messenger to say
he had no further need of him; and that was the last time Daipharnes
was ever summoned. [23] And when the next officer rode up, in front of
Daipharnes though sent for after him, Cyrus presented him with a horse
from his train and bade one of the mace-bearers lead it wherever he
wished. The people saw in this a high mark of honour; and a greater
crowd than ever paid their court to the favoured man.

[24] When the procession reached the sacred precincts, sacrifice
was offered to Zeus, a whole burnt-offering of bulls, and a whole
burnt-offering of horses to the Sun; and then they sacrificed to the
Earth, slaying the victims as the Persian priests prescribed, and then
to the heroes who hold the Syrian land. [25] And when the rites were
done, Cyrus, seeing that the ground was suitable for racing, marked out
a goal, and a course half-a-mile in length, and bade the cavalry and
the chariots match their horses against each other, tribe by tribe. He
himself raced among his Persians, and won with ease, for he was far the
best horseman there. The winner among the Medes was Artabazus, the
horse he rode being a gift from Cyrus. The Syrian race was won by their
chieftain, the Armenian by Tigranes, the Hyrcanian by the general's son,
and the Sakian by a private soldier who left all his rivals half the
course behind him.

[26] Cyrus, so the story says, asked the young man if he would take a
kingdom for his horse.

"No kingdom for me," answered the soldier, "but I would take the thanks
of a gallant fellow."

[27] "Well," said Cyrus, "I would like to show you where you could
hardly fail to hit one, even if you shut your eyes."

"Be so good as to show me now," said the Sakian, "and I will take aim
with this clod," picking up one from the ground.

[28] Then Cyrus pointed to a group of his best friends, and the other
shut his eyes and flung the clod, and it struck Pheraulas as he galloped
by, bearing some message from Cyrus. But he never so much as turned,
flashing past on his errand