the bold speaker's life. Cambyses, however, looked pleased, nodded
approvingly to the man and answered: "Yes, I recognize you too now; you
rode a red horse with golden trappings. You shall see that the Persians
know how to honor courage. Bow down before this man, my friends, for
never did I see a sharper sword nor a more unwearied arm than his; and
such heroic courage deserves honor from the brave, whether shown by
friend or foe. As for you, Massagetae, I would advise you to go home
quickly and prepare for war; the mere recollection of your strength
and courage increases my longing to test it once more. A brave foe, by
Mithras, is far better than a feeble friend. You shall be allowed to
return home in peace; but beware of remaining too long within my reach,
lest the thought of the vengeance I owe my father's soul should rouse my
anger, and your end draw suddenly nigh."

A bitter smile played round the bearded mouth of the warrior as he made
answer to this speech. "The Massagetae deem your father's soul too well
avenged already. The only son of our queen, his people's pride, and in
no way inferior to Cyrus, has bled for him. The shores of the Araxes
have been fertilized by the bodies of fifty thousand of my countrymen,
slain as offerings for your dead king, while only thirty thousand fell
there on your own side. We fought as bravely as you, but your armor is
better able to resist the arrows which pierce our clothing of skins. And
lastly, as the most cruel blow of all, ye slew our queen."

"Tomyris is dead?" exclaimed Cambyses interrupting him. "You mean to
tell me that the Persians have killed a woman? Answer at once, what has
happened to your queen?"

"Tomyris died ten months ago of grief for the loss of her only son, and
I have therefore a right to say that she too fell a sacrifice to the war
with Persia and to your father's spirit."

"She was a great woman," murmured Cambyses, his voice unsteady from
emotion. "Verily, I begin to think that the gods themselves have
undertaken to revenge my father's blood on your nation. Yet I tell you
that, heavy as your losses may seem, Spargapises, Tomyris and fifty
thousand Massagetae can never outweigh the spirit of one king of Persia,
least of all of a Cyrus."

"In our country," answered the envoy, "death makes all men equal. The
spirits of the king and the slave are of equal worth. Your father was a
great man, but we have undergone awful sufferings for his sake. My tale
is