The old man’s limbs trembled visibly at these words, his eyes filled with tears and he murmured a prayer.  Then smiting his forehead, he cried in a voice trembling with feeling:  “Now it is fulfilled! now it has become a fact!  If I doubted the words of thy priestess, O Phoebus Apollo! pardon my sin!  What was the promise of the oracle?

“If once the warrior hosts from the snow-topped mountains descending, Come to the fields of the stream watering richly the plain, Then shall the lingering boat to the beckoning meadows convey thee, Which to the wandering foot peace and a home can afford.  When those warriors come, from the snow-topped mountains descending, Then will the powerful Five grant thee what long they refused.”

“The promise of the god is fulfilled.  Now I may return home, and I will; but first I raise my hands to Dice, the unchanging goddess of justice, and implore her not to deny me the pleasure of revenge.”

“The day of vengeance will dawn to-morrow,” said Phanes, joining in the old man’s prayer.  “Tomorrow I shall slaughter the victims for the dead—­for my son—­and will take no rest until Cambyses has pierced the heart of Egypt with the arrows which I have cut for him.  Come, my friend, let me take you to the king.  One man like you can put a whole troop of Egyptians to flight.”

.......................

It was night.  The Persian soldiers, their position being unfortified, were in order of battle, ready to meet any unexpected attack.  The foot-soldiers stood leaning on their shields, the horsemen held their horses saddled and bridled near the camp-fires.  Cambyses was riding through the ranks, encouraging his troops by words and looks.  Only one part of the army was not yet ranged in order of battle—­the centre.  It was composed of the Persian body-guard, the apple-bearers, Immortals, and the king’s own relatives, who were always led into battle by the king in person.

The Ionian Greeks too had gone to rest, at Phanes’ command.  He wanted to keep his men fresh, and allowed them to sleep in their armor, while he kept watch.  Aristomachus was welcomed with shouts of joy by the Greeks, and kindly by Cambyses, who assigned him, at the head of one half the Greek troops, a place to the left of the centre attack, while Phanes, with the other half, had his place at the right.  The king himself was to take the lead at the head of the ten thousand Immortals, preceded by the blue, red and gold imperial banner and the standard of Kawe.  Bartja was to lead the regiment of mounted guards numbering a thousand men, and that division of the cavalry which was entirely clothed in mail.

Croesus commanded a body of troops whose duty it was to guard the camp with its immense treasures, the wives of Cambyses’ nobles, and his own mother and sister.