it over the wretch's shoulders. "By the _fravashi_, the soul of
Darius my father, no man shall bring so foul a word to me and live!"
"Compassion, Omnipotence, compassion!" groaned the man, writhing like a
worm. Already the master-of-punishments was approaching to cover his face
with a towel, preparatory to the bow-string, but the royal anger spent
itself just enough to avert a tragedy.
"Your life is forfeit, but I am all too merciful! Take then three hundred
stripes on the soles of your feet and live to be braver in the future."
"A thousand blessings on your benignity," cried the captain, as they led
him away, "I congratulate myself that insignificant as I am the king yet
deigns to notice my existence even to recompense my shortcomings."
"Off," ordered the bristling monarch, "or you die the death yet. And do
you, Mardonius, take Prexaspes, who somewhat knows this country, spur
forward, and discover who are the madmen thus earning their destruction."
The command was obeyed. Glaucon galloped beside the Prince, overtaking the
marching army, until as they cantered into the little mud-walled city of
Heraclea a second messenger from the van met them with further details.
"The pass is held by seven thousand Grecian men-at-arms. There are no
Athenians. There are three hundred come from Sparta."
"And their chief?" asked Glaucon, leaning eagerly.
"Is Leonidas of Lacedaemon."
"Then, O Mardonius," spoke the Athenian, with a throb in his voice not
there an hour ago. "There will be battle."
So, whether wise men or mad, the Hellenes were not to lay down their arms
without one struggle, and Glaucon knew not whether to be sorry or to be
proud.
CHAPTER XX
THERMOPYLAE
A rugged mountain, an inaccessible morass, and beyond that morass the sea:
the mountain thrusting so close upon the morass as barely to leave space
for a narrow wagon road. This was the western gate of Thermopylae. Behind
the narrow defile the mountain and swamp-land drew asunder; in the still
scanty opening hot springs gushed forth, sacred to Heracles, then again on
the eastern side Mt. OEta and the impenetrable swamp drew together, forming
the second of the "Hot Gates,"--the gates which Xerxes must unlock if he
would continue his march to Athens.
The Great King's couriers reported that the stubborn Hellenes had cast a
wall across the entrance, and that so far from showing
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