, where they found villages and
food. Four days more brought them to a large and flourishing city named
Gymnias. They were now evidently drawing near to the sea and
civilization.

In feet, the chief of this city told them that the sea was but five
days' journey away, and gave them a guide who in that time would conduct
them to a hill from which they could see the Euxine's distant waves. On
they went, and at length, while Xenophon was driving off some natives
that had attacked the rear of the column, he heard loud shouts in front.
Thinking that the van had been assailed, he rode hastily forward at the
head of his few cavalry, the noise increasing as he approached.

At length the sounds took shape in words. "_Thalatta! Thalatta!_" ("The
sea! The sea!") cried the Greeks, in tones of exultation and ecstasy.
All, excited by the sound, came hurrying up to the summit, and burst
into simultaneous shouts of joy as they saw, far in the distance, the
gleaming waters of the long-prayed-for sea. Tears, embraces, cries of
wild delight, manifested their intense feeling, and for the time being
the whole army went mad with joy. The terrors of their march were at an
end; they were on the verge of Grecian territory again; and with pride
they felt that they had achieved an enterprise such as the world had
never known before.

A few words will suffice to complete their tale. Reaching the city of
Trebizond, they took ship for home. Fifteen months had passed since they
set out with the army of Cyrus. After various further adventures,
Xenophon led them on a pillaging expedition against the Persians of Asia
Minor, paid them all richly from the plunder, and gained himself
sufficient wealth to enrich him for the remainder of his days.

_THE RESCUE OF THEBES._

On a certain cold and wet evening, in the month of December of the year
379 B.C., seven men, dressed as rustics or hunters, and to all
appearance unarmed, though each man had a dagger concealed beneath his
clothes, appeared at the gate of Thebes, the principal city of the
Boeotian confederacy. They had come that day from Athens, making their
way afoot across Mount Cithaeron, which lay between. It was now just
nightfall and most of the farmers had come into the city from the
fields, but some late ones were still returning. Mingling with these,
the seven strangers entered the gates, unnoticed by the guards, and were
quickly lost to sight in the city streets. Quietly as they had c