alents! But where? How?"

The man asserted that the path was easy and practicable for a large body
of troops. He had often been over it with his sheep and goats. If the
Persians would start a force at once--it was already quite dark--they could
fall upon Leonidas at dawn. The Spartan would be completely trapped, or
forced to open the defile without another spear thrust.

"A care, fellow," warned Mardonius, regarding the man sharply; "you speak
glibly, but if this is a trick to lead a band of the king's servants to
destruction, understand you play with deadly dice. If the troops march,
you shall have your hands knotted together and a soldier walking behind to
cut your throat at the first sign of treachery."

Glaucon interpreted the threat. The man did not wince.

"There is no trap. I will guide you."

That was all they could get him to say.

"And do not the Hellenes know of this mountain path and guard it?"
persisted the bow-bearer.

Ephialtes thought not; at least if they had, they had not told off any
efficient detachment to guard it. Hydarnes cut the matter short by rising
from his stool and casting himself before the king.

"A boon, your Eternity, a boon!"

"What is it?" asked the monarch.

"The Immortals have been disgraced. Twice they have been repulsed with
ignominy. The shame burns hot in their breasts. Suffer them to redeem
their honour. Suffer me to take this man and all the infantry of the Life
Guard, and at dawn the Lord of the World shall see his desire over his
miserable enemies."

"The words of Hydarnes are good," added Mardonius, incisively, and Xerxes
beamed and nodded assent.

"Go, scale the mountain with the Immortals and tell this Ephialtes there
await him ten talents and a girdle of honour if the thing goes well; if
ill, let him be flayed alive and his skin be made the head of a
kettledrum."

The stolid peasant did not blench even at this. Glaucon remained in the
tent, translating and hearing all the details: how Hydarnes was to press
the attack from the rear at early dawn, how Mardonius was to conduct
another onset from the front. At last the general of the guard knelt
before the king for the last time.

"Thus I go forth, Omnipotence, and to-morrow, behold your will upon your
enemies, or behold me never more."

"I have faithful slaves," said Xerxes, rising and smiling benignantly upon
the general and the bow-bearer. "Let us disperse, but first let command be
given the Magians to c