Now I passed a command to the Ethiopians, of whom so far not one had fallen, to lie low and wait.  On came the glittering multitude of Easterns, gay with purple and gold, their mail and swords shining in the risen sun.  On they came by squadron and by company, more than the eye could number.  They reached the sand slope thick with their own dead and wounded and paused a little because they could see no man, since the black bodies of the Ethiopians were hid behind the black stones and the black bows did not catch the light.

Then from a gorgeous group that I guessed hid the person of the Great King surrounded by his regiment of guards, ten thousand of them who were called Immortals, messengers sprang forth screaming the order to charge.  The host began to climb the slippery sand slope but still I held my hand till their endless lines were within fifty paces of us and their arrows rattled harmlessly against our stones.  Then I caused the banner of the Grasshopper that had been lowered, to be lifted thrice, and at the third lifting once more thirty thousand arrows rushed forth to kill.

They went down, they went down in lines and heaps, riddled through and through.  But still others came on for they fought under the eye of the Great King, and to fly meant death with shame and torture.  We could not kill them all, they were too many.  We could not kill the half of them.  Now their foremost were within ten paces of us and since we must stand up to shoot, our men began to fall, also pierced with arrows.  I caused the blast of retreat to be sounded on the ivory horn and step by step we drew back to the crest of the ridge, shooting as we went.  On the crest we re-formed rapidly in a double line standing as close as we could together and my example was followed all down the ranks to right and left.  Then I bethought me of a plan that I had taught these archers again and again in Ethiopia.

With the flag I signalled a command to stop shooting and also passed the word down the line, so that presently no more arrows flew.  The Easterns hesitated, wondering whether this were a trap, or if we lacked shafts, and meanwhile I sent messengers with certain orders to the vanguard, who sped away at speed behind the hill, running as they never ran before.  Presently I heard a voice below cry out,

“The Great King commands that the barbarians be destroyed.  Let the barbarians be destroyed!”

Now with a roar they came on like a flood.  I waited till they were within twenty paces of us, and shouted, “Shoot and fall!”

The first line shot and oh! fearful was its work, for not a shaft missed those crowded hosts and many pinned two together.  My archers shot and fell down, setting new arrows to the string as they fell, whereon the second line also shot over them.  Then up we sprang and loosed again, and again fell down, whereon the second line once more poured in its deadly hail.