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After the sending of the gifts to Darius, the part of the Scythian
army which had not marched to the Ister, drew out in battle array
horse and foot against the Persians, and seemed about to come to an
engagement. But as they stood in battle array, it chanced that a hare
started up between them and the Persians, and set to running; when
immediately all the Scyths who saw it, rushed off in pursuit, with
great confusion and loud cries and shouts. Darius, hearing the
noise, inquired the cause of it, and was told that the Scythians were
all engaged in hunting a hare. On this he turned to those with whom he
was wont to converse, and said: "These men do indeed despise us
utterly: and now I see that Gobryas was right about the Scythian
gifts. As, therefore, his opinion is now mine likewise, it is time
we form some wise plan whereby we may secure ourselves a safe return to
our homes." "Ah! sire," Gobryas rejoined, "I was well nigh
sure, ere I came here, that this was an impracticable race - since
our coming I am yet more convinced of it, especially now that I see
them making game of us. My advice is, therefore, that, when night
falls, we light our fires as we are wont to do at other times, and
leaving behind us on some pretext that portion of our army which is weak
and unequal to hardship, taking care also to leave our asses tethered,
retreat from Scythia, before our foes march forward to the Ister and
destroy the bridge, or the Ionians come to any resolution which may
lead to our ruin."
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