ue was doubtful till I saw Bes rush past me grinning and leaping,
and with him a small body of Greeks whom we held in reserve, and I
think that the sight of the terrible dwarf whom they thought a devil,
frightened the Easterns more than did the Greeks.

At any rate, shouting out something about an evil spirit whom the
Egyptians worshipped, by which I suppose they meant that god after
whom Bes was named, they retreated, leaving many dead but taking their
wounded with them, for they were unbroken.

At the foot of the slope they reformed and took counsel, then sat down
out of bowshot as though to rest. Now I guessed their plan. It was to
wait till night closed in, which would be soon for the sun was sinking,
and then, when we could not see to shoot, either rush through us by
the weight of numbers, or march back to where the cliffs were lower and
climb them, thus passing us on the higher open land.

Now we also took counsel, though little came of it, since we did not
know what to do. We were too few to attack so great an army, nor if we
climbed the cliffs could we hope to withstand them in the desert sands,
or to hold our own against them if they charged in the dark. If this
happened it seemed that all we could do would be to fight as long as we
could, after which the survivors of us must take refuge on our boats. So
it came to this, that we should lose the battle and the greater part of
the Easterns would win back to Sais, unless indeed the main army under
Peroa came to our aid.

Whilst we talked I caused the wounded to be carried to the ships
before it grew too dark to move them. Bes went with them. Presently he
returned, running swiftly.

"Master," he said, "the evening wind is blowing strong and stirs the
sand, but from a mast-head through it I caught sight of Peroa's banners.
The army comes round the bend of the river not four furlongs away. Now
charge and those Easterns will be caught between the hammer and the
stone, for while they are meeting us they will not look behind."

So I went down the lines of our little force telling them the good news
and showing them my plan. They listened and understood. We formed up,
those who were left of us, not more than a thousand men perhaps, and
advanced. The Easterns laughed when they saw us coming down the slope,
for they thought that we were mad and that they would kill us every one,
believing as they did that Peroa had no other army. When we were within
bowshot we began